House of Black's Last Heir
by wanderinggypsyfeet
Summary: Forgotten Black, disloyal Black, bloodtraitor Black- Audrina Carona Black has heard it all. A Gryffindor & Ginny Weasley's best friend, a Black by birth & a Weasley by choice, Audrina worries that her loyalties will be tested in ways she's not ready for, as the wizarding world hurdles towards war once more, bringing back memories of a childhood best friend & love that never left.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** Well here's a story I've had written for a long time and finally decided to share! Please read, follow, favorite, review, let me know what you think. Takes place in Half Blood Prince.

 _Dear Diary,_

 _My name is Audrina Carona Black and I hate my parents. It sounds like something that every fifteen year old would say but I think the people that are so pretentious their daughter's name means 'nobility crowned' somewhat deserve for me to hate them. I know every teenager hates their parents but mine have kicked me out of my house and disowned me so I think mine tends to be a bit more justified than 'they grounded me from going to Hogsmeade'. And they didn't even acknowledge my birthday, which was this week. July 19, actually. Ginny, my best friend gave this diary to me as a birthday gift, to control my 'anger'. Or as she put it, to write down my thoughts and feelings. She means well, my Ginny, but sometimes I know her a little too well. I mean, we have been best friends and practically inseparable since our first year at Hogwarts. She is my age, with flaming red hair. She is as pretty as they come, although she doesn't believe it. I think if she hadn't had such a crush on Harry Potter, the Chosen One, since forever she might have had more than a few boyfriends by now. But lately, she seems to have gotten over him. She dated a little bit last year and is currently dating Dean Thomas. He's a right bloke mostly but she drives me mad the way that she keeps insisting that I find a boy as well. Double dates seem to be her new project and I want none of it. I'm shorter than she is, 5'4, almost 5'5. I'm pale which is only a problem when I burn to crisp in the summer. I have the dark hair that is trademark of the Black family. I have gold eyes that I got from my mother. That's the one of the only thing she gave to me, my eyes. And my French heritage, I guess. I've been speaking French since I was young because that's all she'd speak to me. It's a long and complicated story, my family tree. Full of arranged marriages and only children and cousins marrying cousins. The noble House of Black, too noble to love their children. And then there's me, the first Gryffindor since Sirius and biggest disappointment since him as well. Maybe more, because now he's gone and I'm alone. That's why I was disowned, because I didn't come home with a Slytherin badge. I live with Ginny now. Most people at school don't understand why we're so close. So if there's a reason why I love Ginny so much it's that she's been more of my sister than anyone else in my family._

 _-_ _Audrina Carona Black_

"Audrina, are you ready yet?" A flash of red hair let her know that Ginny had entered the room, her arms folded impatiently.

"I'm writing, like you told me!" She shot back, snapping her new diary shut and standing.

"Well, hurry up!" Ginny said shortly, turning on her heel and disappearing down the stairs.

"Coming, coming." Audrina got up and stuck her book under Ginny's bed. She bounded downstairs, and smiled at Tonks.

"Oh, hullo Audrina." Tonks said dully, forcing a small smile.

"Hi Tonks." She said with a smile. She sat down next to her and patted her hand. Audrina was related to Tonks and had grown up hearing of the terrible person her mother was, but she had since became one of the few people that understood what it was like to have your entire family cast you out. Her friendship was now something Audrina treasured.

It also meant they had lost the same person, a cousin they had both loved despite all his flaws. The loss of Sirius had hit everyone hard. Audrina knew she wasn't dealing with it in the healthiest of ways; she had a tendency to force herself into forgetting anything had happened and tried to get through the entire day without reminding herself he was really gone. She thanked Mrs. Weasley as she handed her a bowl. They had just started on the soup when Hermione and Ron stormed down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"For the last time Ronald, I didn't touch the picture of you and that stupid-" Hermione exclaimed, heated.

"IT'S NOT STUPID!" Ron roared. Hermione glared at him. Audrina looked at Ginny, alarmed. She shrugged.

"Hermione's only been here what, a day? And they're already fighting." Audrina commented. Ginny stifled a giggle, and took another spoonful. Both Hermione and Ron sat down with identical huffs.

"Wow. Even acting like each other. That's the first sign to a solid relationship." Ginny said casually.

"Shut up Ginny." Ron growled. Ginny shrugged.

"C'mon Rin." She said, getting up. Audrina shoveled more food into her mouth. Ginny had more energy than anyone she knew and was likely to forget about eating for several hours. Audrina got up and hugged Mrs. Weasley.

"Thank you, it was lovely." She thanked her, trying to express how glad she was that she had a mom to cook for her, even if she wasn't really hers.

"Oh, yes, anytime Audrina dear." She said offhandedly, and Audrina wondered if she was worried about Tonks.

"Quick, let's get out before Phlegm comes-" Ginny said, tugging on her arm. Audrina snickered; the nickname was for Ginny's oldest brother's fiancée Fleur. So far they had spent the entire summer dodging her and her demands that Ginny help plan the wedding, something Ginny was vehemently opposed to.

"Ginny! Don't call her that!" Mrs. Weasley interrupted sharply, but even Tonks has an amused look.

"-Back in the house." Ginny finished defiantly. Audrina stifled a few giggles, and set her bowl in the sink. "To the broom shed!" Ginny cried, thrusting an arm into the air dramatically.

"Bet I can beat you." Audrina called, subtly positioning herself in front of the door so she had the advantage.

"As if." Ginny scoffed, taking off. She followed her, pausing only once to catch her breath when they reached the broom shed. She unlocked it and tossed Audrina her broom. They both leapt on our brooms, and took off swiftly. They hit the air and Ginny barrel rolled, whooping in delight.

"Show off." Audrina chided, teasingly. Ginny stuck her tongue out at her, uncaringly. "So, how are you and Dean?" She asked. They had been writing letters practically every night. She blushed.

"Good." She admitted. Audrina chuckled.

"Fine, fine, I won't ask any questions." She said, hovering under the apple tree, gathering a handful. One by one, she pelted them at Ginny, as she caught them. After she had finished my round, they switched spots.

"What about you? Who do you like?" She demanded just to annoy her. Audrina shrugged.

"After this summer? With all the love, and the mushy blah, I think staying single is pretty nice." She said.

"You could date Seamus and then we could go on double dates!" She suggested and Audrina made a face at her. Seamus was a reoccurring suggestion in a long line of boys their age or thereabouts.

"Seamus, really?" She asked and Ginny shrugged. "What makes you think that's a good idea?"

"You like to annoy people. He likes to blow things up. I can't help it if you two go hand in hand in my head." She informed her.

"A man that blows things up is nice." Audrina said thoughtfully and Ginny lit up. "But do you really want me around a man that will only encourage my stupid pranking ideas and then adds a fire element to them?" She added hastily and Ginny paled, shaking her head. Adurina beamed then darted about to catch eight of the ten apples she threw.

"Nice." She admired. "Chaser or Seeker?"

"Chaser. I don't have a shot with Harry." She said, absent-mindedly. Ginny momentarily flinched, and Audrina reminded herself that Harry was still a sore subject around her, even if she did like Dean.

"Sorry." Ginny said, as they switched once more. Audrina gathered ten apples, and on a second thought, grabbed one more. She rapidly threw the first ten, then waited for a second. Just as Ginny grabbed the tenth one, she threw the eleventh high above her. She barely had time to look up. Audrina smirked.

"Imperfect round." She said smugly, knowing that meant she won money from a longstanding bet.

"Try again, Rin." Ginny said with a cocky grin. She opened her hand to show her the small green apple. She held out the basket, which clearly held ten apples. Audrina groaned.

"Seriously?" She said, slumping down as much as she could on her broom without slipping off the end.

"Pay up, single girl." Ginny said, smiling at the idea of what she was going to do with her new wealth. Audrina moaned and they flew back to the house. They trampled up the stairs, only to catch a glance of Hermione, hiding in a corner. Audrina backtracked, almost barreling over Ginny who had stopped as well.

"Hermione, what are you doing?" She asked, perplexed.

"Hiding. Fleur wants me to help with the dresses. Ginny, hide yourself. She wants more fittings." Hermione hissed then stuck her head out of her hiding area and checked the landing. When it was clear, she curled up once more. Ginny visibly paled at Hermione's warning.

"We're running!" She whispered, yanking on Audrina's arm. She flashed Hermione a thankful grin, because with the impending crisis, Ginny would likely forget that she owed her money. "But not till Rin pays me!" She added hastily. Audrina suppressed a groan.

"Pays you for what?" Hermione asked, sticking her head out from safety, interested.

"I beat her in Rounds." Ginny said, grinning.

"What's that?" Hermione asked, brow wrinkling in confusion. Ginny sighed. Hermione was a genius with books but also incredibly oblivious about anything involving a broom.

"Honestly, with Ron as your best friend, I would at least think you would understand Rounds." She said, exasperated. Hermione frowned.

"No, he's never mentioned it." She informed them, glancing between the two of them, bewildered. Ginny and Audrina shared a look.

"Well, it is more of a Fred and George thing." Audrina said thoughtfully, thinking of the many previous hot summer days when the twins had taken it upon themselves to train the next wave of Gryffindor Quidditch players, with varying degrees of success.

"Rounds. It's like practice for the whole team." Ginny explained. Hermione frowned, frustrated that she couldn't understand. Quidditch had always been a hard concept for her to grasp, and after second year, they'd all fallen into the habit of excluding her from any talks involving the World or House Cups, mostly to avoid explaining.

"How does that work?" She asked, uncurling from her hiding position fully, clearly more interested in this than she was worried about Fleur finding and recruiting her.

"You throw apples at the other person." Ginny described hastily, glancing around quickly with eyes of an animal trapped in a corner. It was amusing, what Ginny would do to avoid fittings.

"Chuck them, really." Audrina added, leaning against the wall. Hermione looked bewildered.

"For Keepers, it's perfect. Beaters take sticks and go to town. Seekers, you just have to throw in random spots, for their reflexes. And Chasers practice catching. Simple, really." Ginny explained hurriedly. Audrina nodded, trying not to laugh at Hermione's look of defeat. "Now c'mon Rin. You still have to pay." She said, bolting. She groaned and followed her upstairs.

"Have I told you I hate you?" She asked, digging in her bag and throwing Ginny three Sickles.

"Nope. But the rest of your family has." She said cheerfully, pocketing it. "Now c'mon. Let's go hide from-"

"Ginny? Fleur wants you down here to pick out colors." Mrs. Weasley called. Ginny groaned and flopped down on her bed.

"Please. Kill me. Save me the pain." She moaned, voice muffled, as she hugged a pillow over her ears and face. Audrina grinned broadly.

"You stole my money, I watch you squirm. I think the universe calls that karma my dear Gin." She reminded her, shooing her out of the room. Ginny glared and huffed out the door, pausing only to throw the pillow at her. Audrina batted it down and followed, amused.

"And for the record, I won, fair and square!" Ginny called. Audrina rolled her eyes and entered the kitchen. Fleur caught one look of her and frowned disapprovingly. She calmly ignored her and grabbed a slice of bread. Grabbing the butter and a knife, she sat down to watch the fireworks. Fleur had barely opened her mouth when Ron barreled in.

"I told her not to!" He announced.

"What-?" Mrs. Weasley asked in confusion, looking at Ron, bewildered. Then the door slammed shut again, less forceful this time. Hermione walked in, holding her bleeding hand.

"The gnome bit me!" She shrieked. Mrs. Weasley sighed and waved her wand. The cut was gone in an instant but Hermione's horror remained. Audrina watched, amused.

"Well, if they're getting so out of control, could you go de-gnome the garden, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked Ron, who was carelessly thumbing through the massive swatches of colors Fleur had accumulated before she could snatch them away. Ginny jumped up, ecstatic at the chance to leave. Fleur looked at her future mother-in-law, annoyed.

"No problem, Mum." Ron said, sighing and leaving. Hermione looked between Ron and Mrs. Weasley, wondering if she should follow. Audrina smiled and finished off her bread.

"I can teach Hermione, so she stops getting bitten." She offered, eager to escape the imminent fight between Ginny and Fleur. She'd been subjected to it several times already and had no wish to repeat the experience anymore times than was required of her.

"That would be lovely." Mrs. Weasley said, smiling at her. "Ginny, dear, where do you think you are going? Sit, we have things to do." She called, as Ginny opened the door in what was likely her first escape attempt of many.

Ginny moaned and collapsed back into the chair, from where she gave Audrina a murderous glare. She smirked back and opened the door for Hermione, sticking her tongue out at Ginny as they left. They started walking, the summer breeze making Hermione's hair appear even crazier. She looked at Ron's back then at Audrina.

"Will I make a fool of myself?" She asked lowly. Audrina frowned, thinking it over. She had de-gnomed the Weasley's garden enough times to know how it worked but she also knew Hermione's gentle nature when it came to magical creatures. Audrina still had a S.P.E.W. badge buried deep in her trunk somewhere.

"They aren't going to get hurt. Remember that." She said carefully. Hermione sighed and nodded. When they crested the hill, Ron was already throwing five or six into the air. They flew past the tree.

"Ha!" He cried. "Beat that!" Hermione timidly picked one up, swung, and let loose. It didn't even make it to the fence. Audrina shrugged.

"Not bad for your first try." She said, flinching as the angry gnome picked itself up and ran back.

"It was a wimpy girl throw." Ron called out, shrugging, picking up a few more. He threw them and smiled in satisfaction at the distance they went. Frowning, Hermione picked up another one. She swung it violently and when she let it go, she launched it. Audrina watched, mouth open in shock as it rocketed well over Ron's best and kept going.

"I think I can still see it!" She cried, squinting into the setting sun. Hermione whipped her hands off and smiled at Ron.

"Beat that." She said saucily to a stunned Ron. Audrina high-fived her as she smiled smugly while he stared at the horizon where her gnome had disappeared in disbelief.

"Can't resist a chance to deflate his ego, can you?" Audrina muttered. She just grinned, shaking her curls out of her face.

"I kind of like this." She admitted. Audrina laughed and grabbed a few gnomes as they toddled back.

"Good. Because we have a long night ahead of us." She said, sighing and observing the many gnomes we still had left to toss. Hermione made a face, rolling up her sleeves, and they got to work. After what felt like an hour, they staggered back into the kitchen, rubbing tired shoulders. Ginny was slumped on the table, defeated.

"When I get married," She said, still face down and not moving. "-It will be in the backyard. Rin and Hermione, you can hold my robes. Ron, you can stand next to whomever I marry. And Bill or Charlie can marry us. I refuse to invite anyone beyond our family. I swear." She vowed.

"So Harry's not invited?" Audrina asked, causally, unable to resist the chance to tease her about her longtime crush. Ron and Hermione didn't hear either of them; they were too busy squabbling over whether or not Fleur and Bill should be getting married so soon.

"Harry's family, you know that." Ginny muttered, twisting so the crook of her elbow shielded her eyes.

"Well, traditionally, grooms aren't invited to their wedding. They invite the people, ya know?" Audrina said, offhandedly. Ginny leapt at her. She swiftly ducked out of the way and sprinted up the stairs.

"AUDRINA CARONA, I WILL KILL YOU!" She screamed, chasing after her. Audrina stuck her head around the door.

"No you won't. Now stop being so dramatic, let's change and go for a broom ride." She said, careful to mind any blows Ginny might send her way. Ginny sighed, putting her hands up in defeat and she let her in. They changed into warmer clothes, grabbing their Quidditch gloves. She glanced at Ginny. She was staring, amused, at her reflection. "What?" Audrina asked, pausing.

"Fleur wasn't happy with me." She said, running her fingers through her hair, frowning.

"What did you do?" She asked, exasperated.

"I didn't do it. Mum and Dad did." Smirking, she turned to her. "We can't settle on a color for our dresses. She complains that nothing goes good with my hair." She explained. Audrina thought about it.

"She has a point." Audrina said helpfully. Ginny smacked her and laughing, they dashed downstairs.

"Going for a ride!" They both called, scooting out the door.

"Be careful!" Mrs. Weasley called, eyes worriedly following them as the bottom half of the door swung shut. "Wait, Audrina, dear!" She said quickly, patting her apron. She turned around as she bustled out the door and up to the two girls. "You have mail. It came while you were up in the garden." Smiling, she held out a thick letter on expensive parchment.

"Oh. It's not Hogwarts, is it?" Audrina asked, bemused, turning it over in her hand. Ginny pulled on her wrist.

"You can read it on your broom, now please! Come before she finds me." She pleaded; glancing around furtively for Fleur and her various color samples to fret over.

"Wait!" Hermione cried, dashing from the house. "I'm coming with!" Ginny and Audrina looked at each other.

"Hermione…." Audrina said slowly. "You're great at throwing gnomes, don't get me wrong…. But you aren't that great of a flyer." She said, trying to let her down as easily as she could. She scoffed.

"I know. But Fleur is in there, rambling about what color she wants the rose petals, and I can't take it anymore." She said, rubbing her temples and sighing. Her hair was frizzier than ever.

"Rose petals?" Ginny asked skeptically, warily eyeing the Burrow. Hermione nodded gravely.

"Well, I think the chickens need some attending." Mrs. Weasley said after a pause and bustled off.

"I admire her. Great excuse." Ginny said in amusement, watching her hurry off. "Anyways, Hermione, you can come." She said, turning back to them. Audrina stifled a groan. "And sit while Rin and I do one race lap." She amended, giving her a stern look.

"Anything other than rose petals." Hermione said, shivering. She grabbed a spare broom. Ginny and Audrina shared a look. She had unknowingly grabbed Ron's broom. Ginny cleared her throat and Audrina laughed.

"Let's go." Audrina said, than pushed off, and the rush of air washed away all her worries. She almost let the letter fly out of her hand.

"Are you going to open it?" Ginny asked, pulling up level to her. Hermione, slowly, and less steadily, mirrored her. Frowning, she slit the envelope. She unfolded the letter and slowly read aloud.

 _Dear Audrina,_

 _I write to you with a request. When you return to Hogwarts, please be on your guard, for not everyone wants you there. Please look at Mr. Sirius Black. Any pure blood that is a traitor, such as a pureblood in Gryffindor, will be first to be sought out by Death Eaters. Please. Not even Hogwarts can keep you safe. I beg of you, pleas keep your head down and don't do anything to attract more attention to yourself than you already receive. Please take care this year and mind what you say. I'm afraid it is you who has to fear the Dark Lord._

She slowly looked up from the letter, shocked. Ginny's blue eyes were huge, wondering.

"I'm on the hit list." She said mutely. Hermione already had her wand pulled out. "It's a joke." She said slowly, holding the paper up between her thumbs. The paper was thick and smooth, the trademark of money. Hermione frowned, cocking her head to get a better angle.

"Then who's it from?" She asked.

"It's from him." Audrina realized. She had grown up reading at that handwriting in notes and letters, watched it go from a childish scrawl to thick, neat letters. She would know it anywhere.

"Who's him?" Ginny demanded, eyes blazing, looking ready to launch into battle and kill.

 **AN:** Please, please, please review!


	2. Chapter 2

"Malfoy." Audrina explained, preparing herself to stop her. Both Ginny and Hermione frowned and looked closer.

"How can you tell?" Hermione demanded, taking the paper and glancing it over thoroughly.

"I have seen enough letters from his house to know the paper when I see it. And his handwriting." Audrina said offhandedly, staring down at the paper and trying to figure out exactly what he meant.

A thousand thoughts raced through her mind, one right after the other. Flashes of a boy chasing her, laughing, tackling her to the ground with no fear. The warm sunlight on her face as she walked out the castle doors, laughing; only to stop when she saw the cold look he threw her way. The look on his father's face as he hesitated to throw a curse her way as she ran down the dark halls of the Ministry of Magic, wondering if she would die there.

Draco Malfoy, the boy that was her brother and best friend and enemy all rolled into one, the only person that had ever broken her heart when they told her not to come home, that she wasn't worthy of family anymore. Part of the family that had loved her and had abandoned her, all within the passing of one year. A boy she couldn't forget.

He had protected her all her childhood. He had held her hand when she skinned her knee playing hide and seek, when she fell off of a wall and gashed her hip open. He was protecting her again now, she was sure of it. She didn't know why. They hadn't spoken in years, since the day the sorting hat had decided her cunning was no match for her bravery and she had risked everything, took the biggest chance of her life, and agreed with it.

The decision that had changed everything and led her to where she was now, with a best friend that had flaming red hair and her whole family that loved her even though she wasn't their own. Audrina looked up at the two girls next to her in astonishment. Ginny just stared at her.

"I'm going to go talk to him about it." She decided thoughtfully. The letter was proof that somewhere deep down; he still cared deeply about her. It was proof that even if hey hadn't spoken in years, even if she had betrayed his family like he said se had, even if every insult they had said about each other was true, that he still cared enough to try and warn her of what might happen to her should she go back to Hogwarts.

"What?" Ginny yelped. She hastily drew her wand. "Don't even try it Rin, I won't let you." She warned, pointing her wand at Audrina without hesitation. She stared her down evenly. She didn't doubt her.

"That's illegal, you know." Audrina said, nodding to Ginny's wand.

"The Ministry has more important things to do than find an underage witch." She snapped. She wiggled her wand and Audria sighed. If there was one thing she had learned from Ginny, it was her utter fearlessness was only equal to her complete conviction to do what she thought was necessary.

"Good point." She admitted.

"Thank you. So you won't go confront him?" She asked, stowing it in her back pocket. Audrina sighed.

"You have my word that I won't go anywhere near the Malfoy Manor." She promised, knowing she wouldn't find the loophole. Ginny smiled at her; she had always kept her promises. Ginny grinned and opened her mouth. Just then a scream split the air. Gasping, they both turned to Hermione. She was pointing, eyes wide in terror, at a bird high above them.

"I thought it was a Death Eater." She whispered, terrified. Audrina about fell off my broom in exasperation as Ginny sighed.

"Hermione. It's a bird." Ginny said gently, trying to calm her down. Hermione shook her head.

"Doesn't matter. I'm going." She whispered, white knuckled. Slowly, she began her descent. Ginny sighed and Audrina followed her gaze. A small, plump figure had came flying out of the house. Hermione's screams had alerted Mrs. Weasley to the rapidly darkening sky.

"Girls, come down! It's getting dark!" She yelled, glancing around, hand on her wand. Ginny groaned and they headed down. "Wash up and get to bed. Tomorrow will be a long day." She said, patting their cheeks fondly.

"More wedding. Just what I need." Ginny muttered, sarcastically. "Stupid Phlegm."

"Ginny! You call her that one more time-!" Mrs. Weasley warned. Ginny just shook her head and stored her broom. Sighing, Audrina mirrored her. They walked into the house and without delay, headed up to her room. As Audrina changed, Ginny held up the diary.

"You're using it?" She asked, thumbing to the first page.

"Yeah. You gave it to me. Why wouldn't I?" Audrina asked, raising an eyebrow. Ginny snorted, reading. "Hey!" She cried, leaping over the bed and attempting to grab it. Ginny laughed and held it out of reach.

"You think I'm pretty?" She mocked, eyes wide and taunting. Audrina sat down on the bed, staring at her, amazed.

"Ginny, turn around, look in the mirror. Incredible red hair, perfect pale skin, pearly white teeth. Whatever makes you believe that you are ugly I have no idea." She said, awed that she didn't see what the rest of the world saw. She muttered her normal retort.

"Well, Harry doesn't." She huffed, as was standard. Audrina groaned in frustration and threw her hands up, falling onto the bed.

"Child, you amaze me." She said, maddened. Ginny grinned and flopped down next to her.

"Night Rin." She said, throwing blankets over herself.

"Night Gin." Audrina said back, and they curled up, back-to-back, completely and totally content. It was their ritual and Audrina now found that she couldn't fall asleep unless she had Ginny's warmth on her back. She dozed off, despite her thoughts being stuck firmly on Draco and his motivations for writing her a letter that warned her that the Death Eaters had been talking about traitorous purebloods.

Audrina slowly opened her eyes. Ginny's breathing was slow and deep and she seemed fairly deep in sleep. Carefully, she got up and grabbed black clothes for her journey ahead. She glanced at her diary. She grabbed it and hastily wrote Ginny a note, just in case.

 _Ginny, I am sorry to leave you like this, but I have to confront Draco about this. I need to ask him why he wrote me this note. I may not return, but the chances of that are…admittedly slim. Don't worry; if I don't come back, at least you'll know where to start looking._

 _-Audrina Carona Black_

She set the note down and stepped out the window. Carefully, she scalded the wall. She thought to herself ruefully about how she had learned this skill- too many times she had tried to climbed down the walls of her own house, craving open space.

She dropped to the ground lightly and, carefully checking to make sure she wasn't seen, found the spot to Apparate. She swiftly turned on the spot. She landed in the dark and swiftly put her hand to her hip where her wand sat.

She was on a hill not far from the familiar manor. Trees surrounded her but she was right to assume that a family in the ranks of the Dark Lord didn't bother or need to extend their security out this far. At any rate, no alarms blared at her arrival, which she took as a good sign.

"Draco. I want to talk to you." She called. She pointed her wand to the sky. A green star hung low, visible from his window alone. It was a signal that he should come. She wondered if he would remember while she rubbed the diamond ring she had gotten from her parents as a child.

As she waited she thought off all the time they had sat in this very clearing, as children, talking about anything that came to mind. She jumped, as there was another loud snap of someone stepping on a branch.

"I can't be summoned like a child, Black." Came a snide voice. She almost dropped my wand in surprise. He was here. Audrina turned around and tried to control the beating of her heart as she looked at Draco.

"Well, I guess you can." She said, voice trembling. She kept a hand on her wand, wary of him. Ever since the Ministry, he had the right to hate her and she knew that he likely did.

"I have bigger and better people to answer to." He said stiffly. He was tense, wand out, voice cold, and eyes hard. His clothes, like her own, were all black but they made him seem sharp all over, like if she reached out to touch him she would cut herself. All together, he was an imposing figure.

"Yet you still come to me when I need you to." She said, teasingly, trying her hardest to keep him from leaving.

"Mainly out of interest." He said, waving a hand dismissively.

"You sent me a lovely little note. I want to know why." She requested, drinking the sight of him in.

The pale skin that would burn slightly pink whenever they swam together in the summer sun, the gray eyes that were watching her, holding back emotions. The arms, so long and lean, that had often wrapped around her, the chest where she had cried a million tears. If you could love when you were ten, she had loved Draco. Maybe she still did. Thoughts were so jumbled in her head she almost missed his response.

"Why?" He asked coolly, and she had to reserve myself, hide her feelings away. She couldn't have him detect any weakness or he would jump on it and she'd be in trouble.

"Interest. And you just admitted you wrote it." She shot back, finding a flaw in his defense. He grimaced.

"Did not." He muttered, wand dropping down to his side. His shoulders followed suit and he seemed to soften somehow.

"Draco." She pressed, knowing she had won this one. He'd stay, and explain, because that was how Draco was.

"Audrina." He retorted, trying to save the situation and salvage some of the image he had left.

"Drake." She resorted to using his nickname.

"Rina." And he in turn, used hers.

"Why are you worried for me?" She coaxed. He sighed.

"I know this as a fact. The Dark Lord hates blood traitors as much as muggleborns." He admitted, eyes downward.

"I'm a pure blooded Black. My family doubtlessly supports him, even if my parents aren't very forthcoming about it." She said, nonplussed. While she was sure her parents weren't full fledged Death Eaters like the Malfoy's, she had been raised with stories of how the Dark Lord was making things better for purebloods before Harry stopped him.

"And you are in Gryffindor." He reminded her, adopting the tone of a well meaning elder, just like he had when they were kids.

"Oh… I understand." She said, seeing his meaning. It was common knowledge that she had been basically cut off from her family. It had been the subject of a good amount of nasty gossip when she was younger but she had thought it was old news by now.

"It's a surprise that you do." He scoffed.

"Thank you for warning me." She said softly. She meant it. She was surprised he had written her at all. He shrugged.

"I owe you one. Think of this as just settling old debts once and for all." He insisted.

"Like you'll ever stop owing me for lying to your mother about who crashed through your windows on a broom." Audrina smirked. He shook his head, but a smile still lingered there, in the corners. "Draco..." She sweet-talked, knowing that she could force a smile from him. She took a step closer. The smile broke out in full then was gone almost instantly afterwards. She could've blinked and missed it, easily.

"Audrina." He said, his tone warning, but he didn't mean it. She could tell with how he held himself that he wasn't going to hurt her. He was like a snake; when he was ready to strike, you knew it. His posture was puffed up but softened, not the posture of someone with the intent to hurt.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked, her voice soft. He shook his head, taking a small step back and away from her.

"I-" He started, looking for a way out. He hated emotional talks. There was a sudden gust of wind, and her hair obscured her view of him. Frantically, she tore at her hair; desperate to make sure he hadn't gone. She couldn't see.

"Draco!" She called. She heard an amused snort.

"I'll write to you, Rina." She tossed her hair, clearing her face, but Draco was gone. She sighed.

"Bye…. Drake." She said softly, then spun and was gone. It occurred to her that it shouldn't be this easy to take him back, not after years of wondering how she had ever been his best friend. She arrived back at the Weasley's house. She grabbed her broom, and flew into Ginny's room. She carefully climbed into her room and lay back down.

 **AN:** This story is very young, which means I have plenty of time to hear everyones feedback, which I would love. Leave reviews with questions, concerns, major morally dilemmas... I would love to hear it all. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

She awoke to Ginny shaking her.

"Rin! Rin, get up!" She said, as her head lolled back and forth.

"Wha-?" Audrina asked groggily, hardly aware that it was morning.

"Harry's here!" She said. She cracked open an eye, registered Ginny excited face in her brain, gave a small giggle, and saw that sunlight was barely streaming through the curtains. Her amusement evaporated and her good mood went with it. She rolled over, trying to get away.

"'S not." Audrina mumbled, trying to hide under the covers from the bright sun. Ginny yanked them off.

"C'mon, we're going to see him." She ordered, folding her arms. She noticed how Audrina was still curled up in a ball and frowned. "And why are you so tired? Stay up all night?" She demanded, almost jokingly. She groaned.

"You have no idea." She muttered, reaching blindly for the covers in a feeble attempt to hide from Ginny.

"Let's go, Rin." She said, exasperated then proceeded to drag her to Fred and George's old room.

"Dunno." Harry's voice floated back to them, as hey neared. "He can't be worse than Umbridge, can he?" He asked, sounded incredulous.

"I know someone who's worse than Umbridge," Ginny said, and walked in. Lazily, Audrina followed. "Hi Harry." She commented. Audrina waved my hand, and slumped on the floor.

"What's up with you?" Ron asked, to both Ginny and Audrina.

"So…. Tired…." She muttered.

"It's _her_." Ginny said, as she fell onto Harry's bed. "She's driving me mad." She vented. Audrina settled myself in for another rant.

"What's she done now?" Hermione asked, looking understanding.

"The way she talks to me- you'd think I was about three!" Ginny said, enraged. Audrina glanced at Harry, who looked utterly confused.

"Doesn't Harry know about Fleur?" She asked to no one in particular. No one apparently heard, because the discussion went right on without registering her comment.

"I know." Hermione said lowly. "She's so full of herself." She admitted. For Hermione to admit that was pretty bad; it showed how low their tolerance of Fleur really was. She watched Harry's bewildered face with amusement.

"Can't you two just lay off her for five seconds?" Ron said hotly, red in the face. Both Ginny and Hermione rounded on him.

"That's right, defend her." Ginny snapped, furious at Ron. "We all know you can't get enough of her." She taunted. Deciding that he was confused enough, Harry spoke up.

"Who are you-?" He questioned, looking around, bewildered. Fleur choose that moment to walk in. Harry yanked his covers up so hard Ginny and Hermione, who were both sitting on the bed, fell onto the floor. Audrina scrambled into the corner, seeking refuge behind some of the stacked boxes, as she floated to Harry's side.

"'Arry, Eet 'as been too long!" She cried, throatily.

"It's like nails on a chalkboard." Audrina muttered, peeking around the boxes. Ginny stifled laughter from where she was righting herself. Mrs. Weasley walked in, looking disgruntled.

"There was no need to bring up the tray, I was about to do it myself!" She grunted, quite unlike her usual cheery morning self. Ginny and Hermione remained on the floor, both looking displeased with Fleur and the situation they'd found themselves in.

"Eet was no trouble." Fleur said, with a brilliant smile, as she set the tray and swooped down to kiss Harry's cheeks. Audrina watched, as Ginny pretended to gag where Fleur couldn't see. "I 'ave been longing to see 'im. You remember my seester, Gabrielle? She never stops talking about Arry Potter. She will be delighted to see you again." Fleur said, patting his cheeks and dazzling him with her blinding smile.

"Oh…. Is she here too?" Harry asked. Audrina noticed that he looked like he was choking and debated helping him. But that would put her in Fleur's line of sight and would meaning willing making myself a volunteer for wedding plans. She decided that she liked Harry plenty, but not that much.

"No, no, silly boy," Fleur said, laughing. Audrina saw Mrs. Weasley noticed Ginny making faces at Fleur's back and not do anything. "I mean next summer, when we- but do you not know?" She trailed off and turned to look at Mrs. Weasley, who looked rather guilty.

"We hadn't got around to telling him yet." She admitted guiltily. Fleur spun, her hair spraying Mrs. Weasley.

"Bill and I are getting married!" She announced, elated.

"Oh," Harry looked rather shocked. "Wow. Er—Congratulations!"

"Bill is very busy at ze moment, working very 'ard, and I only work part-time at Gringotts for my Eenglish, so he brought me 'ere for a few days to get to know 'is family properly. I was so pleased to 'ear you would be coming — zere isn't much to do 'ere, unless you like cooking and chickens! Well — enjoy your breakfast, 'Arry!" With these words she turned gracefully and seemed to float out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

As everyone watched her float off, Audrina noticed Draco's black owl waiting for her at the window. Hurriedly, she scooted over and opened the window just wide enough to grab the letter. She stroked it's head once.

"Good job. Go rest. Come back in an hour." She whispered, glancing down at the letter curiously. She glanced back at everyone else. Mrs. Weasley had made a noise that sounded like,

"tchah!"

"Mum hates her," said Ginny quietly.

"I do not hate her!" Mrs. Weasley said crossly. Audrina tucked the letter into her back pocket carefully.

"They've known each other a year," said Ron, who looked oddly groggy and was staring at the closed door.

"Well, that's not very long! I know why it's happened, of course. Its all this uncertainty with You-Know-Who coming back, people think they might be dead tomorrow, so they're rushing all sorts of decisions they'd normally take time over. It was the same last time he was powerful, people eloping left, right, and center-" She said with a frown.

"Including you and Dad," said Ginny slyly.

"Yes, well, your father and I were made for each other, what was the point in waiting?" said Mrs. Weasley. "Whereas Bill and Fleur... Well… what have they really got in common? He's a hardworking, down-to-earth sort of person, whereas she's —"

"A cow," said Ginny, nodding. "But Bill's not that down-to-earth. He's a Curse-Breaker, isn't he, he likes a bit of adventure, a bit of glamour... I expect that's why he's gone for Phlegm."

"Stop calling her that, Ginny," said Mrs. Weasley sharply, as everyone but Ron laughed.

"She's exotic, boys like Bill like that." Audrina pointed out and Ginny threw a pillow at me.

"Well, I'd better get on. ... Eat your eggs while they're warm, Harry." Mrs. Weasley ordered. Looking careworn, she left the room. Ron still seemed slightly punch-drunk; he was shaking his head experimentally like a dog trying to rid its ears of water.

"Don't you get used to her if she's staying in the same house?" Harry asked them pointedly.

"No." Ginny and Audrina both said promptly.

"Well, you do," said Ron, giving us a dirty look, "but if she jumps out at you unexpectedly, like then..."

"It's pathetic," said Hermione furiously, striding away from Ron as far as she could go and turning to face him with her arms folded once she had reached the wall.

"You don't really want her around forever?" Ginny asked Ron incredulously. When he merely shrugged, she said, "Well, Mum's going to put a stop to it if she can, I bet you anything."

"How's she going to manage that?" asked Harry.

"She's got all sorts of plans. You'd think that's where Fred and George got it from." Audrina said thoughtfully.

"She keeps trying to get Tonks round for dinner." Ginny agreed. "I think she's hoping Bill will fall for Tonks instead. I hope he does, I'd much rather have her in the family." She mused.

"Yeah, that'll work," said Ron sarcastically. "Listen, no bloke in his right mind's going to fancy Tonks when Fleur's around. I mean, Tonks is okay-looking when she isn't doing stupid things to her hair and her nose, but —"

"She's a damn sight nicer than _Phlegm_ ," said Ginny.

"Plus she doesn't look down her nose at every single thing we do or anything we say about Hogwarts. Tonks actually cares about us." Audrina said crabbily, thinking of all the times Fleur had sneered at Ginny and her.

"And she's more intelligent, she's an Auror!" said Hermione from the corner, where she was glaring at Ron.

"Fleur's not stupid, she was good enough to enter the Triwizard Tournament," said Harry.

"Not you as well!" said Hermione bitterly.

"I suppose you like the way Phlegm says ' 'Arry,' do you?" asked Ginny scornfully, folding her arms.

"No," said Harry, looking like he was regretting speaking at all, "I was just saying, Phlegm — I mean, Fleur —"

"I'd much rather have Tonks in the family," Ginny cut him off easily. "At least she's a laugh."

"She hasn't been much of a laugh lately," said Ron. "Every time I've seen her she's looked more like Moaning Myrtle."

"That's not fair," snapped Hermione. "She still hasn't got over what happened… You know... I mean, he was her cousin!" Audrina's stomach turned over. They had arrived at Sirius once again. She felt the letter and moved towards the door in hopes of sneaking out unnoticed.

"Tonks and Sirius barely knew each other!" said Ron. "Sirius was in Azkaban half her life and before that their families never met —"

"That doesn't matter." Audrina snapped, tears gathering in her eyes. She hadn't know Sirius till she was 12, but that made her no less fond of him and didn't make his death sting any less.

"That's not the point," said Hermione. "She thinks it was her fault he died!" Audrina squeezed my eyes shut to block out the memory.

"How does she work that one out?" asked Harry.

"Well, she was fighting Bellatrix Lestrange, wasn't she?" At Hermione's mention of her notorious aunt she shivered. "I think she feels that if only she had finished her off, Bellatrix couldn't have killed Sirius."

"That's stupid," said Ron.

"It's survivor's guilt," said Hermione. "I know Lupin's tried to talk her round, but she's still really down. She's actually having trouble with her Metamorphosing!" It was true; Tonks had refused to change her hair back to its bright colors for a while now.

"With her —?"

"She can't change her appearance like she used to," explained Hermione. "I think her powers must have been affected by shock, or something."

"I didn't know that could happen," said Harry.

"Nor did I," said Hermione, "but I suppose if you're really depressed..." The door opened again and Mrs. Weasley popped her head in.

"Ginny, Audrina," she whispered, "both of you come downstairs and help me with the lunch."

"I'm talking to this lot!" said Ginny, outraged.

"Now!" said Mrs. Weasley, and withdrew.

"She only wants us there so she doesn't have to be alone with Phlegm!" said Ginny crossly. She swung her long red hair around in a very good imitation of Fleur and pranced across the room with her arms held aloft like a ballerina. "You lot had better come down quickly too," she said as she left.

"I'm going to go change." Audrina said, hand still on the letter in her back pocket. She desperately wanted to read it.

"Fine, but don't leave me down there alone for too long or I'm likely to go mental." She said grumpily and stomped down the stairs loudly for effect. Audrina pulled the door to her room shut and sat on the bed, pulling the letter out and carefully opening it.

 **AN:** So as some of you may have noticed, I'm using HBP as my basis for this story. All rights to the Queen JK Rowling, I'm just taking her amazing ideas and adding my own twist to them. Please leave me comments, questions, concerns, likes, dislikes, all the things!


	4. Chapter 4

_Dear Audrina,_

 _Why I am writing to you, I really have no idea. Something happened when the Dark Lord first told his followers of his plan to rid the world of not just muggleborns but blood traitors as well. No doubt this is the Weasley family, but you also. If I could tell you the reason why I care, I would. But I do not have a reason, and that is the most mystifying thing. When he told his followers, I knew that it was wrong. This summer, your dear friend Potter handed my father over to the Ministry. For this, I doubt I will ever forgive him. This also includes you, for you were there and you fought with him. Whatever impulse caused me to write to you, both yesterday, and today, I have controlled it. Last night was a risk, and I am refusing to do it again and I demand you respect my wishes on this matter. Whatever we had, Audrina, it ended long ago. It ended when you choose your path, as I have chosen mine. We may have been friends, great friends, maybe even the best of friends when we were children. But you are not who you were when you were five, and neither am I. I hope, for the sake of us both, that this is the last of our correspondence. Please do not reply back._

 _-Draco Malfoy_

She was mute. She couldn't focus, she couldn't breathe. Only one thought ran though her mind. She had to get to him. She had to speak to him and figure out why he would know of these plans, why a boy who was barely 16 would be listening to someone so powerful.

"Rin?" Ginny asked, turning to her as she charged past her on the stairs. She shook my head.

"I'm sorry, I have to go." She said bluntly, following Mrs. Weasley out. She raced down to the fireplace. "Malfoy Manor!" She blurted out, throwing the floo powder around her and leaping into the fire. She spun and then stopped, throwing her hands out just in time. She hit the floor and rolled, throwing her wand into a defensive position as she did so. The recklessness of her behavior made her stomach twist but she would rather have that than the gnawing wonder of why Draco was doing this.

The Malfoy mother greeted her with her trademark stares and sneers, but didn't immediately throw a curse at her. She sat in a high back chain as though it was a throne, looking down at Audrina with unreadable eyes. She wondered if the letter had been entirely Draco's idea. She'd been like her daughter once, long ago. She wondered if she had heard the same news as Draco.

"Hello." Audrina said, standing. "I'm going to find Draco." She announced, putting her wand away.

"In his room." She said, looking at her with the same carefully blank face and expressionless eyes. Audrina nodded to Mrs. Malfoy and walked calmly out. She didn't know what to think, being back in her second home. She had just about grown up here, as much as Draco. Her parents had visited his so often that they frequently left her here rather than deal with the temper tantrum she would throw if they tried to separate them.

Audrina glanced back at her. She was carefully reading her book. She was amazed that she hadn't thrown a curse at her the second she fell out of the fireplace. Doubtless, she knew where she stood yet she let her in. Audrina shook her head and hurried up the still familiar stairs then turned down the hallway. She burst into his room. She stepped back, dazzled.

"You changed it." She said, struck dumb. His room had gone from being green, black, and silver to just plain silver walls, with one black stripe running around the top. His furniture was out of order too, his bed across the room from where it had been before, and his trunk and its contents strewn carelessly around the room.

"Yes, does that bother you?" He asked, sitting in a chair and leaning back. It should've surprised her that he wasn't even remotely shocked to see her, but she was too busy taking in the new room to think.

"It's just not how I remember it." She said, dazed to be back in his room again. He got up from the desk he was sitting at and folded his legs so he was resting on his bed. He nodded to the chair he had vacated. She collapsed into it, rubbing her temples.

"What is going on?" He asked, after a few minutes of silence.

"Well, I just left Ginny, and the rest of her family to worry out of their minds while I came after a prat." She explained, somewhat amused, somewhat terrified of what Ginny's reaction would be upon her return to the Burrow. He held a hand to his heart.

"I'm wounded." He said, sarcastically.

"Ass." Audrina muttered. He grinned and leaned back onto his pillows. "Draco…" She said slowly. She really didn't know how to start. She didn't even know if she wanted to, if she could. She had been a part of sending his father to prison. She had spent years ignoring her family and even more so him.

"Audrina." He smirked. I fell back on how we use to talk, the calm, intimate tones. We had once been close enough to spill all our secrets to each other and that's what I wanted to do now, to pull the secrets from him whether he wanted to tell me or not.

She had heard the rumors. She knew the gossip. She saw the way his father had thrown curse after curse at Ginny, Hermione, Luna, Neville, even herself. She knew the Malfoy's were even more involved in the Dark Arts than her own family. She remembered the parade of faces from when she was younger; all people had sworn allegiance to the Dark Lord.

Her family was not innocent, of that she was sure. But since she lived either at Hogwarts or with Ginny she had no way of knowing anything that happened on this side. She knew nothing of the man Draco had become since she had walked away from him.

"I'm worried about you. It's not like you to care." Audrina pointed out. He shrugged. She observed, taking notes of his body position and facial expressions. Growing up with him had taught her that this was the only way you could really understand him.

As a pureblood raised in an always observant environment, every emotion was carefully controlled and words even more so. It was expected of them as children to be neither seen nor heard. They were dolls, to be set up and taken down once shown off. It meant that any emotion that slipped through the cracks was all the more important and strong. Draco wasn't one for words but his actions spoke volumes.

"I'm growing up." He said vaguely. She noticed that he rubbed his wrists when he said this. She took a mental note, shrugged, then turned around and took in the room. Her gaze fell upon a large black burn next to the door and she grinned, shaking her head.

"But not so grown up." She said, smiling slightly.

"How so?" He asked, somewhat startled. She pointed to the wall at the mark and he went pink.

"The scorch mark. I put it there, when I was five. And ever since, we used it as our area to put notes." She reminded him. She got up and gestured to the tiny basket of chalk. To her surprise, there was still some in there. Quite a lot, actually. "You haven't used it." She said softly, surprised.

"No, not since you were here for the very last time." He said. She turned, noticing how his voice was soft, if not hoarse.

"Why?" She asked. He shrugged, but she noticed how his hand shook and he looked troubled. "Drake." She said softly, walking towards him.

"Why do you still call me that?" He asked, suddenly, sliding backwards on his sheets and away from her, looking wary.

"Because, unlike you, I can't seem to forget the past." Audrina said ruefully, stopping. It was true. She had spent weeks, if not months of her first year crying herself to sleep over not talking to him.

It wasn't until third year that she could see him in the hallway and not feel a swelling wave of pain hit her chest. She spent the whole year workings towards being able to walk by him with a straight face and not duck into a classroom to catch her breath.

Her fourth year was trying to erase him from her dreams, erase the nightmares of pulling back a Death Eaters hood and revealing his face. It still wasn't working. If anything, it got worse after the attack at the Ministry. He would be chasing her, shooting curses.

She had tried her entire time at Hogwarts trying to remove him from her life, to keep silent when Harry, Fred, or anyone mentioned his name. It had never worked. She could never forget who he was to her, no matter the lengths she would go.

She stayed where she was, a couple feet from him. She knew, from all the years she'd spent working her way into his life and heart that sometimes the best weapon was backing off.

"You always did seem to have an abnormally good memory." He commented and she almost leapt into his lap in relief. She'd gotten through to him. He was teasing her. They'd fallen right back into their 10-year old selves.

"Now, Sir Drake, what the bloody hell is going on?" She asked, making her way over towards the bed. Slowly she sat down. This time, Draco didn't move, just raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing. And you cannot still be calling me Sir Drake." He said, tone still monotone. She relaxed on his bed next to him, grinning. He gave a blink back, unfazed by her proximity.

"You love it." Audrina said smoothly, trying to be confident, but she let some doubt creep into her voice. And it was justified, because Draco leaned back, tapping his fingertips together. Physically, he was close enough to touch. Emotionally, he was thousands of miles away.

"Loved." He said coolly. She frowned. "Listen." He said smoothly. "I keep trying to explain to you, Rina, that we are not friends anymore." She beamed, because she'd finally found a crack in his shell, a slip in the armor.

"I would believe you." She said quietly, trying to play her hand right. This life was a game, a game designed to make you think. There was a reason Ron and her were nearly evenly matched when playing chess.

"Would?" He inquired casually, fingers running across his elaborately carved headboard.

"You called me Rina." She smirked, hoping that she had called his bluff. "You've always called me Rina."

"Don't a lot of people?" He drawled, raising an eyebrow. She shook her head, looking down at her hands then up at him.

"No, only you." She said softly. He turned to face her, a look of surprise on his face. She gave him a small smile. He just sighed.

"Listen, I wish we could be friends, I really do." He said, running a hand through his hair. She smiled inwardly. For all his talk, he hadn't really changed. His mannerisms remained the same since he was a boy. This was his confused, unsure movement.

"Then we are. Case solved." She said, smiling. He shook his head.

"No, no, you don't understand!" He said, frustrated, leaning forward onto his knees, not meeting her eyes.

"I understand just fine. You're a Slytherin, and I'm a Gryffindor. I know who your friends are and you know mine. I refuse to go into some long-winded debate. Point is, you care. And that's that. Isn't it enough?" Audrina said, moving over to face him and smiling hopefully. She wanted to be his friend. She'd missed him. More than she thought she could. He shook his head.

"You are too stubborn for your own good." He said, rubbing his face with his hands.

"The Black family has been known for that trait." She said, with a smirk. He got up and held up a cup of floo powder, with a slight grin on his face.

"Go home, reassure Ginny that the only dangerous thing you were doing was-" He started, but Audrina interrupted him, taking a pinch of the powder.

"Talking to the followers of the most dangerous man in the world?" She teased. For a second, his grey eyes flashed with unseen pain.

"Go home Rina." He said wearily, taking a step back.

"Admit it." She challenged. It was time to make her move. She knew it was now or never. She had torn down a wall and all that remained was whether or not he would reach across it.

"What?" He asked, surprised.

"Admit you care." She said, hand over the fire, wanting to hear it. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I care. I care about you, I guess, left over feelings from…" He struggled, unsure where he was going and what he was doing.

"When we were twelve?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. He smirked.

"I was twelve, you were eleven." He corrected her. She smiled. That was the old Draco sge knew. He had always pushed the 'I'm older' angle.

"I'm going, prat." She said, teasing.

"Rina, wait!" He said suddenly, grabbing for her wrist. She turned to him. He rubbed the back of his head. "Listen. About what happened, I'm sorry." He said, awkwardly. She shook her head.

"I forgave you Draco. To keep forgiving you, that I cannot do." She said tiredly. She was done saying sorry and being sorry. She'd forgiven Draco a long time ago, because she understood why he did it, but she had always assumed that he'd try again. She just didn't think that it would be five years later. Shaking her head, she stepped into the fire. "Please write; I'll miss you." She said, her tone playful but sincere.

"I will." He said solemnly. She stepped into the flame and as she spun, she saw the fear in his pale grey eyes.

 **AN:** Any thoughts, questions, likes, dislikes? Let me know in a review! This story will likely be updated M/W/F like my other stories. Please favorite, follow, review, tell a friend, all that stuff! Thanks for reading.


	5. Chapter 5

She arrived back at the Weasley home, and prepared herself for the questions that would surely come. She stepped out of the fireplace to Ginny tapping her foot, arms folded, and wand in hand.

"Hi…" Audrina said slowly, smiling unsurely.

"Hi." She said cheerfully. She flinched. If a tone could mean imminent death, this one was it. "Come in, come, come." She said, holding out a hand innocently. Slowly, she took it.

"Hi, Ginny dear." Audrina said, trying to act nonchalant.

"Rin!" She shouted. She cringed.

"I can explain. I went to talk to Draco." She protested then recoiled with a wince. Judging by the flash of anger in Ginny's eyes, it was a bad choice to admit that without context.

"YOU WHAT?" She demanded.

"Listen, listen!" Audrina said hastily. "Ginny, it's not as bad as you think. You know I have a history with them." She eyed her, the murderous look not subsiding whatsoever. "Here, I have an idea." She insisted and turned around and raced upstairs. Ginny followed, swearing.

"On your life Rin, I swear I'll kill you. You're lucky I didn't go to my mother." She threatened. Audrina held out a tiny bottle of Veritaserum. She'd stolen it last time she was home from her mother on a dare from Fred and George and had been saving it for a pranking opportunity but this seemed like a more worthwhile use. It might prevent Ginny from executing her.

"Try me. One drop is good for three questions." She explained. Ginny sighed, looking at it dubiously.

"Fine." She relented, uncorking the bottle. Slowly, she let a drop fall. Audrina hesitated but swallowed it. The haziness fell on her and she felt relaxed, able to spill her deepest secrets.

That was the effect of the potion. Usually it rendered one unable to remember the hours before and after taking it. However she had been exposed to Veritaserum fairly early enough that she had trained herself to resist the memory loss the haze brought.

"Did you go to Malfoy Manor just to ask Draco the reason behind the letter, not because you're some Death Eater traitor?" Ginny questioned.

"Yes." Audrina said, obediently. She sighed.

"You are not involved in the group the Death Eaters in anyway, such as you don't work for their leader?" She demanded.

"No." She said truthfully. Ginny grinned.

"Do you have any feelings for Draco Malfoy?" She inquired, grinning evilly. Audrina cringed.

"Yes." She answered, gulped as the potion wore off. "Feelings of hate and anger." She explained, gagging.

"Sure they are." Ginny said, rolling her eyes. She sat next to her, nervously bringing her nails to her mouth. Audrina smacked her hand away and frowned at her. "Sorry." She muttered.

"You're upset." She said, noticing that her nails were indeed chewed down far enough that she must have been biting them without Audrina noticing. It was a habit she had broken her second year and only reverted to when she was extremely worried or nervous.

"You just ran off the Malfoy house, I think I have a small reason to be upset." She said sharply. Audrina stayed quiet, giving her space. She knew she needed it, she knew it was best for her. But that didn't make it any easier. "Why?" She asked finally and Audrina took a deep breath.

"Because I had to Gin. He said I was in danger. He said you were too. I know we are, I've known since Harry told us he was back. And I know you think the Malfoy's are evil and I can't deny that they are fascinated with the Dark Arts and power and money…" She took a deep breath as she struggled to keep my emotions under control.

"He was awful to us, with Umbridge. His father and the rest, they tried to kill me, do you remember that?" She asked her harshly and briefly Audrina flashed back to that corridor in the Ministry.

"He tried to kill me too." She said quietly and Ginny's shoulders dropped slightly. "But Draco isn't his father. He wasn't there and I think that he doesn't want to be. If he did, he wouldn't have written me that letter." She explained and her brow furrowed as she mulled this over.

"So you think that by talking to him, you're going to somehow make him not so obsessed with the Death Eaters?" She demanded.

"No. I just hope that I can remind him that when he was younger, he was a good kid. And he can be a good man." Audrina said and she opened her mouth as though she was going to protest then slowly shut it. She looked at her for a long moment then disappeared. Audrina reached for my diary. She paused, holding the quill an inch off the page.

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Ginny doesn't believe me, and with good reason. But it's impossible to explain something like this to her. Draco is my betrothed, in a way. Everyone liked to joke around about it when we were young. We have known each other since we were born. My father is a cousin of his mother. My mother came from France and they fell in love when they met. I've never heard the story in full. I never thought to ask, but after I left for Hogwarts, I figured that more than likely their marriage was arranged. Even if it wasn't, I am the only offspring to come out of it. I spent summers and vacations at Draco's. It was convenient for our mothers- I entertained Draco and he entertained me. They could lock themselves away in the house and never have to look at us. I saw him as my best and only true friend. I had grown up with him, always there to tease and taunt me. I managed to put a scorch mark on the wall, beside his door. I was five, and I lost my temper. I had stolen my father's wand to prove I wasn't scared, and when Draco made a snide comment that I was a weak little girl, I pointed the wand and burned away a part of his wall. For six years since that moment, we used his wall as a message board. We were the best of friends. He watched out for me, I gave him a day to remember. We learned to lie so perfectly that I doubt anyone could separate truth from lie without using magic. I guess we fell apart when Hogwarts came into the picture. My parents were all for sending me to Beauxbartons where my mother had gone, but little twelve-year-old Draco convinced them Hogwarts was better. I wanted Hogwarts; I wanted to keep spending every single day with my best friend. The rest of the summer was promises of fun, and how I would love it there. What he didn't think of was that I might be sent to another house, particularly not Gryffindor. I didn't even think about it. Every Black had been a Slytherin, except for Sirius and anytime his name was said it with the utmost distain. I didn't even consider any other house and suddenly I was in one. That was the end, the end of everything. And the beginning of my close friendship with Ginny, and then Fallon, Jace, Adam and Hermione, and eventually, Ron and Harry, and the rest of the Weasley family. Draco faded to into something of my past. I learned how wrong the beliefs of my parents were. I realized how I had grown up in a twisted house. I fell in love with the Weasley family; how they were pureblood and still loved each other without the stiffness I had received my entire life. My summers quickly turned to avoiding my parents, and finding ways to escape to the Weasley house. Draco never even attempted to talk to me again, not after what happened to Ginny our first year and how it was widely known the diary came from his father. For every summer since my third year, the year the Dark Lord returned, I've left Hogwarts with Ginny, and avoided my parents and therefore Draco. I didn't want to go home to parents that despised me like they had hated Sirius and how I had to hide the scarves with their gold stripes or the sweaters with giant A's on them, handmade by Mrs. Weasley. We didn't go to the Malfoy Manor and they never visited us. And now I've gone back and so much has changed and so much is the same. I guess I thought I had forgotten what it was like to be with him; things had changed so much that I forgot my feelings. But I've wondered since the day I was sorted and still do today, that if something had been different, if I had been a Slytherin, what would have happened?_

 _-Audrina Carona Black_

She sighed and set down the quill. She headed downstairs, looking forward to a second breakfast. She tromped downstairs and was surprised to see Mrs. Weasley was trying desperately to rid Hermione's face of a large black eye while Ron and Harry watched the window in terror.

"This has always worked before, I just can't understand it!" Mrs. Weasley cried. She reached for the handle of the pan filled with sausage and promptly started eating out of the pan.

"It'll Fred and George's idea of a funny joke, making sure it can't come off." Ginny bet, looking extremely amused from her perch halfway between Hermione and the boys.

"But it's got to come off!" Hermione cried, looking close to tears. "I can't go around looking like this forever!"

"You won't, dear, we'll find an antidote, don't worry." Mrs. Weasley said, attempting to sooth her.

"What happened?" Audrina asked, interested.

"Yeah, ask Rin to get it off." Ginny said lazily, grinning at her while she assessed Hermione curiously.

"She would be the best bet to get it off." Mrs. Weasley agreed. She examined Hermione's face.

"Ah, well, this is one of the later models. I haven't seen it yet. I don't know the cure. It's bloody brilliant though." She admired, reaching up to poke her eye. Hermione swatted her hand down, glaring.

"Bill told me 'ow Fred and George are very amusing." Fleur said, smiling serenely and Audrina noticed Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I can hardly breathe for laughing." Hermione snapped, then leapt up and started pacing the kitchen, wringing her hands. "Mrs. Weasley, you're quite, quite sure no owls have arrived this morning?" She asked, fretting.

"Yes dear, I'd have noticed," Mrs. Weasley said calmly. The woman had a wonderful amount of patience for the three teenagers staring at the window, though Audrina could tell it was slowly dwindling. "But it's barely nine, there's still plenty of time... Audrina, how many times do I have to tell you and Ron and Fred and George, stop eating out of the pan, and please get a plate." She scolded, fixing her with a stare.

"Sorry Mrs. Weasley." She apologized and set the pan back down on the stove, then went to get a plate for the eggs.

"I know I messed up in Ancient Ruins," Hermione was muttering. "I definitely made at least one serious mistranslation. And the Defense Against the Dark Arts practical was no good at all. I thought Transfiguration went all right at the time, but looking back —"

"Hermione, will you shut up, you're not the only one who's nervous!" barked Ron. "And when you've got your eleven 'Outstanding Owls…"

"Don't, don't, don't!" said Hermione, flapping her hands hysterically. "I know I've failed everything!"

"What happens if we fail?" Harry asked the room at large, but it was again Hermione who answered.

"We discuss our options with our Head of House, I asked Professor McGonagall at the end of last term." She informed everyone and silence fell again. Ginny slid over next to Audrina.

"Three Sickles says that Hermione gets at least Ten Outstandings." She whispered. She frowned.

"You took the last of my money in Rounds, Gin." She reminded her crossly. She grinned.

"Win them back." She offered, tempting her.

"What if you win?" She asked. Her smile only got bigger. "Oh dear." She muttered worriedly.

"C'mon." She goaded her. She shrugged.

"You're on." She agreed. She had nothing to lose, figuratively speaking. They turned back to Hermione. Fleur was talking.

"At Beauxbartons, we 'ad a different way of doing things. I think eet was better. We sat our examinations after six years of study, not five, and then-" She rambled. Audrina was quite interested in what Fleur had to say about the school she avoided going to, but she was cut off by Hermione's shill scream.

Ginny jumped and everyone spun to face Hermione. Audrina's hand flew to her wand of its own accord. Hermione was pointing, terrified, at the window, in which one could see three black shapes rapidly approaching.

"They're definitely owls." Ron gasped, leaping up and hurrying to join her at the window. Harry rushed to do the same.

"And there are three of them." Harry said, pale.

"One for each of us." Hermione whispered, wavering. "Oh no… Oh no… Oh no…" The three owls flew directly to the Burrow, each carrying a large envelope. "Oh _no_!" Hermione squealed, so high pitched Audrina clapped my hands over my ears. Mrs. Weasley quickly opened the window, and let the owls fly in.

All three held out their legs, and Hermione, Ron and Harry stepped forward, a look of pure fear on their faces. Audrina watched, amused, as each tried to free the owls of their burden; Harry was managing pretty well, as was Ron, but Hermione was shaking so bad she made the whole owl tremble.

The whole house waited, with baited breath as all three managed to get their letters off. They all unfolded their letters at the same time. She watched, with detached amusement, as Hermione read hers at a rapid pace, how Harry read his numerous times, and how Ron's face slowly returned to normal color. Harry finally looked around. Hermione was still reading, hunched over her paper. Ron grinned at him.

"Only failed Divination and History of Magic, and who cares about them?" He babbled happily. "Here- swap-" They quickly traded papers.

"I wonder what Hermione got." Audrina whispered to Ginny, as Ron punched Harry in the shoulder.

"We've done alright, haven't we?" Ron said, still giddy.

"Seven O. , that's more than Fred and George got together!" Mrs. Weasley cried, tears in her eyes. Ginny glanced at her and shrugged.

"Hermione?" She asked softly. "How did you do?" Behind her back she held a hand. Audrina put her fist in it.

"Nice try. Wait for it." She muttered. Ginny grinned.

"I- not bad." Hermione squeaked, downcast.

"Oh, come off it." Ron told her, snatching the results from her. "Yep- nine 'Outstandings' and one 'Exceeds Expectations' at 'Defense Against the Dark Arts'." He read off. He looked at her, and his expression mirrored everyone else. He was amused, but his tone was exasperated. "You're actually disappointed, aren't you?" Hermione shook her head unconvincingly as Harry laughed. "Well, we're N.E.W.T students now!" Ron said, beaming. "Mum, are there any more sausages?"

"Yes dear, if Audrina didn't eat them all…." Mrs. Weasley called.

"Sorry." She said, as Ron quickly plucked the few remaining from the pan. Then she turned to grin evilly at Ginny. She groaned.

"Alright." She resigned herself to the fact that she had lost.

"What did you two bet on?" Hermione asked curiously, her hands still shaking slightly.

"Nine 'Outstandings'. Not ten!" Audrina crowed, patting Hermione's shoulder jovially. "Good work, 'Mione."

"You bet on me?" Hermione asked, affronted. Ginny shrugged.

"We bet on everyone and everything." She said nonchalantly, pulling the bag from her pocket. "Don't take it personally."

"I get my money back from Rounds." Audrina said happily, as Ginny emptied the money into her pocket. Ron perked up.

"Rounds? Let's go play!" He said, and they all trooped out. Hermione looked astounded that they had bet on her. She huffed and crossed her arms, only speaking when Ron glared at her.

"What?" She demanded, when he held out a hand after they'd grabbed their brooms from the shed.

"My broom." He said, raising his eyebrows. Blushing, she handed it over and they trooped up to the freshly de-gnomed garden.

 **AN:** So we're a couple chapters in, what do you guys think? Do you love it, hate it, are indifferent towards it? (please don't be indifferent) Let me know in reviews!


	6. Chapter 6

Audrina squinted at the sky as it darkened, making it hard to see.

"Do you guys see that?" She asked, nudging Ginny. She caught her last apple and let them fall into her bag.

"What?" She asked, looking at Audrina like she'd lost it. Which she believed, and with good reason.

"That black speck." Audrina said, pointing. She squinted also.

"Look's like an owl." Ginny said, shrugging. She threw the bag to Ron.

"Hermione's up!" Ron cried enthusiastically, catching it.

"Oh no!" Hermione cried, attempting to fly away, to no avail. Harry shook his head.

"Hermione, how can you be such a bad flier? It's not that hard." He grinned at the glare she sent his way. Audrina snorted, as did Ginny. Then she focused back on the speck. It was slowly growing larger.

"Vulcan!" She cried, recognizing the owl.

"Who?" Ron asked, confused.

"Never mind." Audrina said hastily, grabbed the note. She rapidly read it, and grinned. He had signed it with his old nickname. Inwardly, she knew she had won a battle. Perhaps a small one, but a battle none-the-less.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, flying over.

"Git Malfoy, thinking he's funny." Audrina spat. Harry looked at her strangely, then at the note

"What about Malfoy?" Ron growled.

"Alright, you lot, I'm going to explain. Malfoy and I-" Audrina began, deciding that it was good she was a Black and lying came as easily as breathing. "We have a past. You all know that. Malfoy thinks now that the Death Eaters are in full strength he has some sort of right to harass me." She said, making sure she covered any and all liar's signs.

"Despite his dad being locked up." Ginny added. Audrina gave her a grateful look. She knew Audrina didn't want anyone looking into her talking to Draco and her reassurance meant Ron would likely stay out of it.

"Touché." Audrina amended. "But now that Draco actually has some serious backup, he thinks that he can threaten me and get away with it." She quickly invented. Ron, Harry, and Hermione just shrugged, taking it mostly in stride. She knew the trio had enough to worry about with each other. If she weren't in any immediate danger, they wouldn't look too far into it.

"Deal with it when school comes round." Ron suggested, readying the apples. She nodded and grimaced.

"Its still summer, let's not talk about school."

* * *

The next few weeks very blissfully quiet, marred only when Bill, Mr. Weasley or the news brought news of more deaths, of more pain. Audrina kept more in touch with Draco, mostly little notes sent back and forth when Ginny or the trio wasn't looking.

They talked about anything and everything- the first couple letters were about the weather and how the hot days made doing anything outside uncomfortable. Then he mentioned that her parents were visiting more frequently which led to letters talking about her family.

It was strange to talk to him again, the darting out of the kitchen when she noticed that Vulcan was circling. For Ginny's credit, if she noticed anything she managed to not comment on it. Audrina felt happy and balanced, spending her days playing Quidditch and her nights scratching out letters to Draco. It was a balance she hadn't done in ages yet was beginning to enjoy.

The peace was short-lived. As they sat and celebrated Harry's sixteenth birthday, Remus Lupin barraged in. For a second, her breath hitched in her throat and she wondered if someone they knew had died.

"There have been another couple of dementor attacks," He said, and she noticed that she wasn't the only one who held just a bit tighter to whatever they had in their hands. He took the birthday cake, and looked grimly about. "And they've found Igor Karkaroff's body in a shack up north. The Dark Mark had been set over it- well, frankly, I'm surprised he stayed alive for even a year after deserting the Death Eaters; Sirius's brother, Regulus, only managed a few days as far as I can remember." He said, taking a bite and looking thoughtful. Audrina's grip slowly loosened, and again, she wasn't the only one.

"Yes, well, perhaps we should talk about something diff-" Mrs. Weasley said, clearly trying to turn the subject back to something happier, but either Bill didn't understand her intent, or ignored it entirely.

"Did you hear about Florean Fortescue, Remus?" He asked, as Fleur handed him some wine. "The man who ran-"

"-The ice-cream place in Diagon Alley?" Harry asked hollowly. Audrina almost dropped her plate of cake. "He used to give me free ice creams. What's happened to him?" He asked, looking at Bill. She sat there, hoping he would say everyone was all right, or that he was kidding.

"Dragged off, by the look of his place." He said, looking down. He wasn't kidding, Audrina realized. This war suddenly became abruptly real. She flinched as she wondered who had dragged him off and realized if it wasn't a member of her family more than likely it was someone she knew.

"Why?" Ron asked, as Mrs. Weasley shot Bill a glare. Audrina looked at Bill; stunned that something like this had happened.

"Who knows? He must've upset them somehow. He was a good man, Florean." He said lowly.

"Talking of Diagon Alley," Mr. Weasley piped up. They all turned to hear the next bit of news that, without a doubt, would be bad. "Looks like Ollivander's gone too."

"The wandmaker?" Ginny asked, startled. This time Audrina did drop her plate, her hands suddenly numb.

"Sorry, sorry!" She cried, hastening to clean it up. Remus frowned and waved his wand.

"There." He said, offhandedly, distracted by the conversation. The mess was gone instantly. She thanked him, and took the plate back to the kitchen. She set it in the sink and took a deep breath.

"Ollivander." She said softly, shocked. The last person she had thought they would take. Along with Florean, the nice man who always smiled at her, and gave her one extra dose of sprinklers, and a Knut to spend. Always. She took a deep, shuddering breath. She wondered how Draco could know this was going on. She dug in her pocket, and pulled out the latest letter.

 _Hello Rina,_

 _I am bored. The Manor has never been the same, since I was twelve. Since you left. How I wish you had been sorted into my house, so this would not have happened. It really is not as bad as you think. Sure, we are rather grouchy, but you would fit right in. I know you cannot move around in the morning unless you have food. Please, I am willing to bet that if you gave them a chance, you would find them bearable._

 _-Drake_

She sat there and stared at it. When her stomach finally settled enough that she could move and not feel ill, she grabbed a spare parchment, and swiftly wrote her reply, head aching.

 _Draco,_

 _I will never, never, NEVER be a Slytherin. Do not forget that. You know I was renounced as a Black heir. I hate all that you stand for. EVERY. LAST. THING. You are sick. What your 'friends' do is wrong. What Harry does is right. Please, you know this is wrong. Or at least, you should._

She stomped up the stairs and handed it over to Lyra. She stroked her head and walked slowly back downstairs and back into the living room. She sat softly on the couch next to Ginny and they hugged each other, tears glistening on their cheeks, surrounded by family.

* * *

The next morning, the letters and booklists arrived. They were all reading when Audrina glanced at Harry. He had a surprised look on his face. She snatched his letter and read it over quickly.

"Quidditch captain!" She cried, surprised and delighted. She'd wanted to try out for the team for years, but this was perfect. Harry knew how she played. He knew her strengths and weaknesses. She was elated. She glanced at Ginny, but her eyes were carefully shielded.

"That gives you equal status with the prefects!" Hermione said, beaming. "You can use our special bathrooms now and everything!"

"Wow, I remember when Charlie wore one of these," Ron said, turning the badge over, gleeful. "Harry, this is so cool, you're my captain now- if you let me back on the team, I suppose, ha ha…" She looked at Ginny again; her and Audrina both wanted to try for the team. She was still refusing to look up.

"Well, I don't suppose we can put off a trip to Diagon Alley much longer now you've got these," Mrs. Weasley said, sighing and reading the booklist, eyes worried. If she was dreading the costs or the public, Audrina didn't know. "We'll go on Saturday as long as your father doesn't have to work again. I'm not going there alone." She said firmly. Ron looked at her and sighed.

"Mum, d'you honestly think You-Know-Who's going to be hiding behind a bookshelf at Flourish and Blotts?" Ron sniggered, and Audrina had to admit, he had a rather good point.

"Fortescue and Ollivander went on holiday, didn't they?" Mrs. Weasley snapped, angering at once. "If you think security's a laughing matter you can stay behind and I'll get your things myself-"

"That's an ultimatum." Ginny muttered to Audrina. She sniggered then they both turned around to watch the fight unfold. Ron was hastily backtracking.

"No, I wanna come; I want to see Fred and George's shop!" He cried, trying to appease her.

"Then you buck up your ideas, young man, before I decide you're too immature to come with us!" She cried, angrily, grabbing the laundry, and the 'mortal peril' clock. "And that goes for returning to Hogwarts as well!" She snapped shrilly. Than she stomped off, leaving them stunned. Ron looked around at them, half amazed, half shocked.

"Blimey…. You can't even make a joke around here anymore…" He said lowly, looking around, paranoid. Ginny and Audrina sniggered, and then Fleur walked in. As if propelled by a single thought, everyone in the kitchen scattered.

Ginny found Audrina in her room, stroking Lyra, holding a picture she had brought her from Draco. A note had come attached to it and this one contained a picture as well. Audrina was smiling, beaming. She had thrown an arm over Ginny's shoulder and was holding hands with Luna, who was looking off into space. Hermione was standing behind them, smiling shyly. They were all laughing, Ginny and Audrina shoving each other good-naturedly.

 _Audrina,_

 _Here. Have this. I see where you loyalties lie, and I must tell you, I know where mine do too. And as for saying you would make a good Slytherin, I take it back. As clearly shown by this picture, you are too tight with blood traitors and mudbloods. And, for the record, they are not my friends. Goodbye, Audrina. This is the second time._

Each word tore at her heart; feeling like it was falling to pieces. She wanted nothing more than to go and see Draco, and say she was sorry, that she shouldn't have let them fall apart like they had, that these weeks had been bliss; that she was glad she had finally cracked and turned back to him.

Those five long years of resistance had been shattered so easily. Ginny put a hand on her shoulder. She swiftly hid the note. She wasn't ready to share, not quite yet. She handed her the picture.

"Look, my mother sent it to me. She said she found it." Audrina lied, holding it out. Ginny took it and smiled. She watched as her eyes roamed over it, smiling slightly at the way Luna stared off, and how Hermione stood in the background, in their group, yet always being pulled away by her boys. Her heart tugged. It hurt to lie to Ginny, but it was for the best. There was no use dragging her into the mess her family created.

"That was sometime during third year, wasn't it?" She asked, frowning slightly. Audrina nodded, leaning over her shoulder to make sure.

"Sometime before the second challenge, I think." Audrina muttered, flinching at how short her hair was.

"I still remember how Ron treated poor Harry. Everyone hated him." Ginny said, as Audrina looked at her hair, amused and embarrassed.

"Look my hair!" She said, shaking my head. Ginny glanced down and let out a little giggle.

"Jeez, it was short back than, wasn't it?" She said, surprised. Audrina fingered her slightly-longer-than-shoulder length hair. It'd taken a couple years to grow out her bob. Ginny shook her head.

"Why'd I do that?" Audrina wailed good-naturedly. Ginny grinned and smacked her teasingly.

"Stop moping, we are going to Fred and George's soon." She reminded her. Audrina brightened instantly. She'd always liked the twins, and they reciprocated the feeling. She looked at Ginny, smiling slyly. She took a few steps back. "It's back." She said unsurely.

"What's back?" Audrina asked, confused, her smile slipping a bit.

"That twinkle. Whenever you have a deviously evil plot in mind, your eyes, they twinkle." She explained then sat down and her smile grew. "I want in." She told her. Audrina grinned at her.

"I knew there was a reason you were my best friend." She said sweetly. Then she flashed the three silver Sickles that always seemed to be the middle of their bets. "Want some money to spend?" She prompted her, grinning.

* * *

That night, she couldn't sleep. She sat up, thinking about Draco and how much she'd missed him. It'd taken three years to be able to hear his name and not want to punch something and burst into tears simultaneously. It'd taken two more to not visibly cringe when Ron or Harry proclaimed him to be so evil. And after it all, he could still make her smile.

She was dozing off when Ginny rolled over, her eyes half open.

"Move _over_!" She muttered, giving her a shove.

"You know she's your best friend when she wakes you up in the middle of the night and tells you move over." Audrina observed, amused. Ginny kicked her with her foot hard in the shin. "Ow! Jeez, you could've just shoved me." Audrina stuck out her tongue then rolled over.

They made it safely to Saturday without Ron making any more jokes about Voldemort, and without Mrs. Weasley having anymore angry fits. Breakfast wasn't a pleasant affair. Everyone sat there, tense, and nervous. Ginny prodded Audrina in the side.

"Bill's staying home." She said, beaming. Audrina looked at her, unsure where this was going.

"And?" She said, drawing it out. Her smile was big enough for her to know that it was a good thing, but she still had no idea what she meant.

"Which means Fleur is staying too." She said, rolling her eyes, as if Audrina was very stupid.

"Yes!" Audrina exclaimed, pumping her fist into the air. Everyone froze and looked at her. "Just excited to be seeing Fred and George." She said, slowly putting her arm back down. Ginny laid her head on the table and shook with laughter. Bill looked at them unsurely, likely questioning sanity then passed Harry a bag full of money.

"Where's mine?" Ron demanded, his eyes wide, staring at the bag. Audrina rolled her eyes.

"That's already Harry's, idiot." Bill told him as Hermione, Ginny, and Audrina giggled. "I got it out of your vault for you, Harry, because it's taking five hours for the public to their gold at the moment, the goblins have tightened security so much. Two days ago Arkie Philpott had a Probity Probe stuck up his…. Well, trust me, this way's easier." He said, flinching.

"Thanks Bill." Harry said, taking the gold. Ginny and Audrina looked at each other, horrified.

"Traumatized." She said, scrunching her eyes shut. Audrina nodded, horror struck. Images that she didn't need were forever seared in the front of her brain and on the back of her eyelids.

"'E is always so thoughtful." Fleur murmured and petted his nose. Ginny pretended to throw up into her cereal, and Audrina laid her head on the table so no one would see the tears streaking down her face from laughter. She heard choking and saw Ron pounding Harry on the back. The sight of this caused her to put her head back down. Finally Ginny pulled her shoulder, and they walked outside, Audrina whipping her eyes. They gawked at the Ministry cars before climbing in.

"Its good Dad can get us these again." Ron said, stretching. All of the kids were stuffed into the back seat, but they could sit comfortably on the seat that had stretched to fit them.

"Don't get used to it; it's only because of Harry." Mr. Weasley called; both he and his wife were sitting in the front on a seat resembling a bench in size. "He's been given top-grade security status. And we'll be joining up with additional security at the Leaky Cauldron too." Audrina turned to look at Harry. He was quiet, a pondering look on his face. She leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"I saw you packing that cloak of yours." She muttered, referring to this morning when she'd came out the shower and went up to Ron's room to see if she'd left her brush in there when they'd all been hiding from Fleur last night. She'd seen Harry putting the cloak in his bag. He looked at her, startled.

"You did?" He said lowly, his mouth next to her ear. She shrugged.

"Dumbledore always thought it was good enough, so you do too." She guessed. There had been more than a couple times last year she had watched him disappear under the cloak, always up to something. She knew Harry and how he thought. He grinned.

"Can you read minds too?" He asked, somewhat teasing. She smiled back. Harry, though quiet, was funny.

"No. But everyone says I'm like Sirius. I guess we both have the ability to read you." She said quietly. Pain flashed in his eyes and she bumped his shoulder. "It'll be fun." She said, trying to cheer him up. He just shook his head.

"Sometimes I forget that you knew him so well." He said softly. Her heart twanged and she shook her head.

"He was the only one who-"

"Understood you?" He interrupted knowingly. She nodded.

"Yeah." She said shortly. She was fine poking and prodding in Harry's relationships with Sirius, but any memories that she had with the man stayed locked away. Audrina was not ready to look back.

"I know. I felt the same way." He said, looking out the window and she got the impression he didn't want to talk about it anymore. The ride was quiet after that, everyone casting sidelong glances at Harry and Audrina curiously. Ginny elbowed her sharply in the ribs as they neared the alley.

"We are going to talk about this." She said lowly and fiercely. Audrina stifled a groan, wondering if she was actually angry.

"Ok. Please don't kill me. Injury I can handle." She muttered back, grinning slightly. Ginny chuckled.

"Here you are, then." The driver said. Audrina was surprised at how short the ride seemed, but the Leaky Caldron loomed ahead. "I'm to wait for you, any ideas how long you will be?" He asked.

"Of couple of hours, I expect," Mr. Weasley said, glancing at the window. "Ah, good, he's here!" He said gladly. They all pressed their faces to the window to see whom he was referring to. Hagrid was standing there, beaming, as passing Muggles stared.

"Harry!" He said in a loud voice, causing several Muggles to jump in fright, as they all climbed out. He grabbed Harry and squeezed him tight. Audrina doubled over in laughter at Harry's pained expression. "Buckbeak- Witherwings, I mean- yeh should see him, Harry, he's so happy ter be back in open air-" He blundered, covering his mistakes carefully. Audrina closed her eyes for a brief moment; the bird was always a reminder of Sirius.

"Glad he's pleased." Harry said, rubbing his rubs gingerly after Hagrid's enormous hug. Audrina slid over to his side.

"I didn't hear a crack. You should be fine." She muttered lowly, in his ear. He grinned.

"We didn't know security meant you!" He said, leaning back, to smile up at the giant.

"I know, jus' like old times, innit? See, the Ministry wanted ter send a bunch o' Aurors, but Dumbledore said I'd do." Hagrid beamed proudly, chest thrust out. I had to smile a bit at him. "Let's get goin' then- after yeh, Molly, Arthur, -" They walked in and Audrina was taken back. It was totally empty.

"Wow." She said softly. Tom looked up at them, hopefully, and she felt overwhelming pity. She could remember when this place was filled to the brim. Now it was devastatingly empty.

"Jus' passin' through today Tom, sure yeh understand, Hogwarts business, yeh know." Hagrid said, standing protectively in front of them. Grimly, he bowed his head. Silently, they made their way through the building, through the courtyard, and into Diagon Alley. Audrina almost gasped in shock.

 **AN:** Please leave thoughts, comments, reviews, follows, etc... Let me know what you think of this story so far!


	7. Chapter 7

Gone were the advertisements, the flashy windows, the children crowded around the stores, jostling for a look at the newest model of a broom. Large purple posters advising people on how to stay safe and whatnot or huge black and white photo's showing the many Death Eaters covered all the windows. Audrina glanced over at one; Bellatrix leered back at her.

"Oh, look. Auntie Bella." She said, half amused, half scared. Ginny turned to look at her.

"I forget that your whole family is in this." She said quietly, looking at the posters. Audrina shrugged.

"No, they aren't." She said, dismissively. Ginny turned to look at her, bewildered. "My family fights for the good." Audrina continued. Ginny's mouth fell open, and fire brewed in her eyes. Audrina continued on, waiting for her to figure it out. "My family stands beside Harry Potter." She hinted, glancing at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"No-" Ginny spluttered, glancing wildly back and forth between the posters and herself.

"My family is huge. Lots of siblings. " Audrina said, amused that she hadn't figured it out yet.

"You're an only child!" Ginny pointed out, eyebrows furrowed.

"And I don't look like the rest of them." She said, smirking. Ginny frowned, glancing again at the poster.

"You and your mom have the same eyes and your father-" She said, thinking hard in confusion.

"Has red hair. That he passed to all of his children. But me." Audrina said and shrugged and peeked out from under her hair to grin slyly at Ginny.

"Oh…" She said slowly, finally getting it.

"You're my true family, Gin." She said sweetly. She looped her arm through Audrina's, pulling her along.

"Gin and Rin!" She said happily, using the nicknames that Fred and George had given them when they were first years. Their warm and fuzzy moment was broken when a rasping voice called out to Ginny.

"One for your little girl, madam? To protect her pretty neck?" A wizard called out, rattling silver necklaces. His robes were tattered, and he looked so dirty Audrina was scared a rat was going to crawl out of his robes. Ginny puffed up instantly. Audrina glared at the man and he glared back.

"If I was on duty…." Mr. Weasley growling, his face mirroring Audrina's.

"Yes, but don't go arresting anyone now, dear, we're in a hurry," Mrs. Weasley said nervously, running through the list once more. "I think we better do Madam Malkin's first, Hermione wants new dress robes, and Ron's showing too much ankle in his school robes, and you must need new ones too, Harry, you've grown so much- come on, everyone- Audrina, where are you meeting your parents?" She asked, glancing at her.

"Flourish and Blotts." She said swiftly. She just nodded, flustered.

"Molly, it doesn't make sense for all of us to go to Madam Malkin's." Mr. Weasley said, smiling lightly at his wife. "Why don't those three go with Hagrid, and we can go to Flourish and Blotts and get everyone's school books and met Rin's parents?" That was the one thing Audrina loved most about Mr. Weasley. To him and Ginny, she wasn't Audrina, but Rin. Simply that.

"I don't know…" Mrs. Weasley said, wringing her hands. It was a hard choice between getting it over with, and sticking together. Worry etched permanent lines in her face. "Hagrid, do you think-?" She asked nervously. He brushed her worry away with one of his huge hands.

"Don't fret, they'll be fine with me, Molly," He said airily. Despite looking thoroughly worried, Mrs. Weasley allowed Hagrid to take the three teenagers. They set off in the opposite direction and the pit in Audrina's stomach grew. Every step brought her closer to her parents.

The short walk to Flourish and Blotts was silent, everyone looking worriedly around. Families just like theirs were doing the same thing; darting from store to store, faces down and wands out. They walked in, and her groan was only stifled when Ginny laid a hand on her arm; her gaze warning Audrina that turning around and running away at top speed wasn't the best course of action. Sighing, she turned to face her parents.

To see them side by side with the Weasley's was almost comical. Where Mr. Weasley had deep smile lines clustered around his eyes, her father's face was smooth and expressionless. If anything he looked bored, glancing around without worry. She could see the similarity between them that Ginny was likely going to point out- the slim, long face with high cheekbones inherited from generations of Blacks.

The contrast between her mother and Mrs. Weasley was even more apparent. Mrs. Weasley was all curves and smiles, her entire demeanor warm and inviting. Her own mother was angular, arms folded stiffly across her chest in her immaculate robes. Audrina shared her thin frame and golden eyes. Try as hard as she could, she was unable to remember a time when she had taken her in her arms or shown her any form of affection.

"Hello, Mother. Father." she said, with a sigh. They stood there stiffly. Her mother was the first one to say anything.

"Audrina." She said tightly. This was the Weasley's cue to run away. She envied them.

"How are you?" She asked, slumping and not making any eye contact. Normally, they had a formal chat, then they gave her the money she would need for the next few months, and they would go our separate ways, until they had to meet once more. None of them enjoyed the meetings.

"Pregnant." My mother said idly. Audrina jerked her head up to look at her in amazement.

"You sure don't waste words." My father commented.

"Neither will I then!" She cried, gaping at them. "You are _what_?" She demanded, sure she'd heard her wrong.

"Pregnant." Her mother said, casually counting out some gold coins. Audrina looked at her father, demanding an answer.

"You are not a fit heir. There has to be one." He explained. Mutely, Audrina held out a hand for her gold. Her mother smiled a no-teeth smile that meant escape was near. She dropped the pouch into her hands.

"Goodbye, Audrina. See you next year." She said icily. With that, she turned on her heel and was gone. Audrina looked at her father; simply amazed at the fact that the only reason her parents were having a child was to secure a Black heir. She shook her head, and her father disappeared. She wandered back over to Ginny, dazed, money hanging loosely in her hand.

"You don't look good." Ginny remarked, glaring holes into Audrina's parents' retreating backs.

"I'm not good." Audrina said mutely. Ginny grabbed her hand, now looking at her in concern.

"What did they do?" She asked, lowly.

"Got pregnant!" Audrina blurted out. She looked at her, blankly. When she didn't correct herself Ginny's expression turned into one of disbelief.

"Whoa." She said weakly.

"Yeah." Audrina said, just as stunned.

"Well." She said. "Didn't see that one coming." Audrina gave a small grin despite herself. Ginny had understatement down to an art.

"Neither did I." She admitted truthfully. Her parents had failed miserably in raising her and she was honestly surprised that they were going to try again, considering the trouble she put them through.

"Ginny, Audrina, can you help us out rather than chit chat?" Mrs. Weasley called irritably, looking through the shelves. They glanced at each other then promptly did as told. Mrs. Weasley could be quite terrifying at times. They walked down the aisles, grabbing whatever books Mrs. Weasley instructed them to get. Finally, she rounded on the two girls.

"What?" Ginny asked, holding her hands up in surrender. After a second, Audrina mirrored her.

"I have never seen you two so quiet unless you are plotting." She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Whatever it is you are planning; don't tell me what it is." She reconsidered briefly. "Unless it is going to hurt someone." She amended her statement.

"No… Not planning. Freaked out." Audrina told her.

"About?" She asked absentmindedly, frowning at the booklist.

"My mom…. Is pregnant." Audrina admitted. She whipped back around.

"Yeah." Ginny said helpfully.

"To insure a Black heir." She explained. "Is this the right book?" She asked, holding it up. Mrs. Weasley gaped at her, amazed.

"Molly, dear, I found that book you wanted about- Molly?" Mr. Weasley called, rounding the corner. He took one look at her surprised face and instantly became concerned. Mrs. Weasley glanced at Audrina once then she turned back to her husband.

"Thank you, dear, throw it in the basket." She said and bustled off. Audrina glanced at Ginny and they both shrugged.

"She _is_ my mother." Ginny said, slightly amused.

"And you still have no idea what she's thinking." Audrina said, grinning and understanding.

"Yeah." She said with a sigh. Audrina smirked. She leaned on Audrina, and she rested her head on hers.

"I knew there was a reason I was in Gryffindor." Audrina said, sighing.

"To be friends with me?" She teased.

"Not just friend, dear, we're best friends." She said, grinning at her. She laughed lightly.

"Do you miss him?" She asked suddenly. Audrina lifted her head to look at her, wondering what she meant.

"What?" She asked, confused at the sudden shift in conversation and unsure whom she was talking about.

"Do you miss him?" Ginny asked again.

"Who?" Audrina asked, nonplussed.

"Draco." She said, like it was nothing.

"Draco?" She echoed, her heart hurting at the mention of him.

"Yes!" She said, impatient.

"Draco Malfoy?" Audrina asked, amazed. Normally, no one ever mentioned Draco, especially not to her and not after receiving that note while they played Quidditch. It was an unspoken rule and had been since second year when Hermione had caught her crying in the bathrooms after receiving a particularly nasty letter from her parents demanding that she be a better child like Draco was. Now, all of the sudden, Ginny has demanding an explanation of their relationship after nearly three years.

"How many other 'Draco's' are there?" She pointed out. Audrina gave a small shrug, wondering if she remembered her family's obsession with naming children after stars or constellations.

"Actually…." She said thoughtfully.

"Audrina!" She warned. Audrina sighed.

"Yes. He was like my brother." She admitted, glancing around and making sure no one else could hear them. The store was nearly deserted and Ginny's parents were a few feet ahead of them, talking about the costs of this year's supplies. She thought about it.

"Would you miss Ron if he never talked to you again?" She asked, pulling a face. Audrina laughed, as they paid for the books.

"Yes… I think so." She confessed, laughing slightly. Ginny looked genuinely surprised.

"You think so?" She asked, eyes wide in shock. Audrina shrugged and they followed her parents towards to door, navigating the many bookshelves and gently floating books.

"Ron is…." She started, struggling for the right to describe Ron and how she felt about him.

"A prat?" Ginny suggested lightly.

"No, that's Percy." Audrina teased lightly. Ginny grimaced.

"Yeah. Agreed." She said darkly.

"But Draco… He's so different. He is dark and light, fighting each other." Audrina mused, thinking about Draco. Ginny cocked her head. Audrina shrugged and listened as the bell tinkled as they walked out. She lowered her eyes, trying not to look at the posters. Too many of them were someone she knew, or her family. The shame and guilt felt like it could eat through her stomach.

"I can see how Draco would be like that." She said thoughtfully. Audrina stared at her in disbelief.

"Ginny!" She said, completely surprised.

"What?" She asked, just as surprised.

"Two days ago, he was Malfoy! The bane of all things evil. You couldn't say his name without looking like you were going to curse someone. You called him various swear words all second year. You listed him as someone you would kill if you could kill if you knew you could get away with it. Now all the sudden, he's Draco!" Audrina said, wondering how the hell Ginny had switched from his enemy to being curious about him.

"Aw, Rin, you overreact." She said good-naturedly. Audrina glared, and she laughed and they glanced at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. They smartly avoided their eyes, but they had small smiles.

 **AN:** Happy Monday! I've made it through a crazy weekend of weddings and midterms, so I'm happy to report that I finally have time to breathe and give you guys a little Ginny and Audrina. Leave reviews, thoughts, comments... Hell, even just copy and paste your favorite line into a review and let me know what made you laugh or smile. Hope you guys have a great week and thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

When they finally staggered around a corner, Hagrid and the trio were waiting for them.

"Everything alright?" Mrs. Weasley asked, eagerly searching their faces for signs of a problem. "Got your robes? Aright than, we can pop into Apothecary and Eeylops on the way to Fred and George's- stick close now…." She called, glancing over her shoulder. They were bustled into the shop. As the boys went off to mess around, Hermione pulled Audrina to the side.

"What's wrong?" She asked in a low voice. Audrina looked up at her, startled. She sighed. "It's pretty easy to see that something's wrong. You haven't made a single comment on Ron's outfit, Harry's hair, or my purchases." She explained. Audrina frowned. She hadn't been aware that Hermione cared about her enough to notice small things like that.

"Do I tease you three that much?" Audrina asked, surprised. She almost felt like a bad person, if Hermione knew she was in a bad mood by how she forgot to tease her. She shrugged.

"Point is, I know when something is up. Now spill." She said, folding her arms. Audrina debated quickly if it was safe to tell Hermione then decided that it likely wouldn't hurt anything.

"My mum is pregnant." She announced bluntly. Hermione looked unconvinced that the announcement was what was bothering her.

"So?" She said blankly, totally unfazed. Not for the first time, Audrina mentally reminded herself that she was a muggleborn and therefore had no idea about pureblood expectations and heirs.

"So that means the baby will be a better heir than me. Which means I will be disowned." Audrina said, trying her hardest to put it in terms she'd understand. She could see this had no effect on Hermione, who stared blankly back at her. She sighed, shaking her head.

"I don't understand." She said, uselessly.

"I know. Have Ginny explain." Audrina said, exasperated.

"Well, if you need anything, I'm here." Hermione said, patting her arm sympathetically. Audrina nodded and gave her a tired smile before Hermione hurried off after Harry and Ron, who were arguing.

Audrina was browsing an array of semi-precious gems when she spotted Mrs. Weasley. She was worriedly muttering something. When she leaned closer, she could see she was counting. When she reached five, she looked wildly around, panicking. Noticing that at the angle she was standing, she couldn't see her, Audrina quickly grabbed a stone and leapt in front of her.

"Mrs. Weasley, isn't this a beautiful stone?" She gushed, smiling at her. She let all her breath out in a whoosh.

"Yes, dear, it is marvelous." She said, but she was distracted, counting again. Audrina shook her head, wishing the war had never started so she wouldn't have to see her worry like this.

"I'll gather everyone up." She offered.

"Thank you, dear." She nodded, already glancing around for Ginny. Audrina spun on her heels.

"WEASLEY CHILDREN! GRANGER GIRL! AND GLASSES BOY! MOVE OUT!" She yelled. They all jumped and several customers turned to stare. Workers turned and glared. Audrina turned around and smiled innocently at Mrs. Weasley. She just sighed.

"It works." Ginny pointed out, rounding a corner, Hermione on her heels. Ron and Harry came from the other direction. They moved off to Eeylops. Audrina bought some food for Lyra and they headed off again.

"We really haven't got too long," Mrs. Weasley said, checking her watch yet again. "So we'll just have quick look around and then head back to the car. We must be close, that's number ninety-two…. Ninety four…" She bustled along, counting, then froze, staring up at the building in shock.

" _Whoa_." Ron said, halting in his tracks. Ron's whoa didn't even begin to cover it. Compared to the drab buildings on either side of it, the twin's shop popped out, flashing and dazzling. Audrina took a step back and rubbed her eyes, blinking furiously.

"They'll be murdered in their beds!" Mrs. Weasley whispered with her eyes fixed on the sign proclaiming not to worry about Voldemort.

"No they won't! This is brilliant!" Ron said, laughing. Harry and Audrina joined him and Ginny was soon to follow. Hermione was just amazed, shaking her head, wide eyed.

With that, Ron and Harry led the way into the shop with Ginny and Audrina close on their heels. Audrina glanced around, unsurprised to find that the shop was full to the brim of people. She grinned at the Skiving Snackboxes that she had helped come up with, numerous prank wands, and many other magical items. She turned to Hermione and pointed past the hangman, to a large shelf. They squeezed their way through to crowd to inspect them.

"Patented Daydream Charms…" Harry said, gazing at the large box, showing a pirate and beautiful girl on the deck.

"One simple incantation and you will enter a top-quality, highly realistic, thirty minute daydream, easy to fit into the average school lesson and virtually undetectable (side effects include vacant expression and minor drooling.) Not for sale to under sixteens.'" Hermione read off. Audrina frowned and stomped her foot in annoyance.

"Damn it! Fred did that on purpose!" She said in a huff, folding her arms. Ignoring her, Hermione turned to Harry.

"You know, that really is extraordinary magic!" She exclaimed, actually surprised at the idea.

"For that, Hermione, you can have one for free." Came a voice from behind them. They all spun around, Audrina faster than the others. She threw herself into Fred Weasley's arms. He squeezed her tight.

"Fred!" Audrina cried, her voice muffled because she had her face nestled into his chest. He lifted her off the ground.

"How's my prodigy?" He asked, hugging her as tightly as he could.

"Depressed. Why can't I have one of these?" She demanded, leaning back to glare at him. He laughed and gave her a squeeze. She let out a squeak of pain as her ribs protested.

"You can. Just don't tell Ginny." He whispered, letting her go slightly. She grinned. He turned to Harry and Hermione, beaming. "How are you Harry?" He asked, as they shook hands. He glanced at Hermione then did a double take. "And what's happened to your eye, Hermione?" He asked, squinting at her still black eye.

"Your punching telescope." She said ruefully. He made a face, as Audrina smiled in amusement.

"Oh blimey, I forgot about those," He said. "Here-" Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a think yellow paste. They all looked at it warily. "Just dab it on, that bruise'll be gone within the hour-" Hermione looked at Audrina and she shrugged.

"Why do you look at me? I told you lot, I don't know everything that these two are designing, though I wish I did." She said, putting her hands up in a gesture of innocence.

"It is _safe_ , isn't it?" Hermione asked gingerly, taking the paste and dipping two fingers into it.

"'Course it is." Fred said, unconvincingly. "Come on, Harry, Rin, I'll give you a tour." He dragged Harry and Audrina off to the back of the shop.

"Where are we going?" She asked, but Fred ignored her and happily pointed out the line of Muggle stuff.

"Muggle magic tricks!" said Fred. "For freaks like Dad, you know, who love Muggle stuff. It's not a big earner, but we do fairly steady business, they're great novelties… Oh, here's George..." Interested, Audrina leaned in, looking for a decent lock picking kit. Sadly, she found none better than her current one. Just then, George arrived, cheering her up some.

"George!" She cried, hugging him. He picked her up briefly.

"Rin!" He said, delighted. He kissed her cheek then shook Harry's hand. "Giving them to tour? Come to the back, Harry, that's where we're making the real money-" He said. Audrina turned to find Ginny and when she turned back around, George was glaring at a small boy.

"C'mon dear, don't scare the small children." She teased. George rolled his eyes and keeping a hand on her shoulder, led them to the back room. It was different from the front of the store; the colors were more subdued and the wizards here were older, rather than students.

"We've developed a more serious line. Funny how it happened..." Fred said softly.

"You wouldn't believe how many people, even people who work at the Ministry, can't do a proper Shield Charm," George said, as she leaned in close to him, breathing deeply. She had forgotten how he smelled. He patted the top of her head. "'Course, they didn't have you teaching them, Harry." He said, nudging Harry and winking.

"Hear hear!" Audrina said, grinning. Being back with the twins made her happier than anything else. Seeing them was almost enough to make the dread in her stomach from my parents' announcement disappear. Suddenly, a large box distracted her and she distanced herself from George and walked over to inspect it. There were clocks and hats and gloves inside.

"That's right… Well, we thought Shield Hats were a bit of a laugh, you know, challenge your mate to jinx you while wearing it and watch his face when the jinx just bounces off. But the Ministry bought five hundred for its entire support staff! And we're still getting massive orders!" Fred said, shaking his head in disbelief at their luck.

"So we've expanded into a range of Shield Cloaks, Shield Gloves..."

"... I mean, they wouldn't help much against the Unforgivable Curses, but for minor to moderate hexes or jinxes…"

"And then we thought we'd get into the whole area of Defense Against the Dark Arts, because it's such a money spinner," continued George enthusiastically. "This is cool. Look, Instant Darkness Powder, we're importing it from Peru. Handy if you want to make a quick escape." George explained. Humming thoughtfully, Audrina took a pinch. Fred raised an eyebrow.

"I'm gonna need it if Fleur sticks around." She explained. George pretended to wipe away a tear.

"Look, Fred, look how well we raised her." He said proudly, adopting a motherly tone. Fred rubbed her back.

"Yes, we raised her right." He said, beaming. She rolled her eyes at their antics, grinning.

"We sure did." George said proudly. Harry looked confused and she just grinned at him.

"Here, take some of these. Decoy Detonators. They are just walking off the shelves, look," Fred said, shoving several of them into her hands, catching them as they tried to run off the end of shelf. "You just drop one surreptitiously and it'll run off and make a nice loud noise out of sight, giving you a diversion if you need one."

"Handy." Harry said, grinning.

"I love it. This totally makes up for the daydream thing." She said, putting them in her bag, mind exploding with all the possibilities that these held. She could distract professors, prefects, and maybe even Peeves.

"Knew it would." Fred said, winking at her. She stuck her tongue out at him. Harry caught a few when George threw them at him.

"There's a customer out here who's looking for a joke cauldron, Mr. Weasley and Mr. Weasley." A young witch called. Audrina looked around for their father in confusion. The blonde witch had poked her head in and was looking at them expectantly. Audrina was taken back to hear them be called Mr. Weasley, and she could tell by the look on Harry's face, she wasn't the only one.

"Right you are Verity, I'm coming." George said, making to follow her. Audrina tugged on his hand and he smiled down at her.

"I miss you." She said softly.

"I know. Come back soon." He said, and leaned down to kiss her cheek before making to hurry off. "Harry, Rin, you two help yourself to anything you want, all right? No charge." He called over his shoulder.

"I can't do that!" Harry protested, pulling out a sack of money.

"Me either! I can't rip off my family!" Audrina cried.

"You don't pay here." Fred said firmly, refusing to take Harry's money. "You either Rin." He said pointedly, glaring at her as she tried to pull money out of her purse.

"But—" They both protested.

"You gave us our start up loan, we haven't forgotten," Fred said to Harry sternly. "Take whatever you like, and just remember to tell people where you got it, if they ask."

"I don't want to steal from you or anything." Audrina tried to explain when he gave her a stern look.

"And Rin, half the stuff in here, you helped with. You deserve all of it." Fred said flatly.

"We have you to thank for some of these amazing ideas." George said, poking his head back in, then swept off again. She frowned; she missed him a lot. She was happy for the twins and what a success the store was but it meant she saw even less of them. Harry and Audrina followed Fred back into the front of the shop, where Ginny and Hermione were poring over the daydreams.

 **AN:** I'm happy that those of you that have reviewed have liked my story this far! Harry Potter raised me, just like it probably raised a lot of you all, so I love writing this. Please leaves reviews and have a safe Halloween weekend if that's something you celebrate. Thanks for reading and please leave reviews!


	9. Chapter 9

"Haven't you girls found our special WonderWitch products?" Fred asked, when they noticed them. "Follow me, ladies..." He led them to a bright pink stand, where a bunch of girls were giggling. Ginny and Audrina both took a step back automatically. Hermione followed suit.

"What is this stuff?" Audrina asked in mild horror. Fred didn't seem to notice their hesitation.

"There you go," He said proudly. "Best range of love potions you'll find anywhere." Ginny and Audrina shared a skeptical look.

"Do they work?" She asked, looking at it warily. Fred looked wounded. Audrina couldn't help her giggle.

"Certainly they work, for up to twenty four hours at a time depending on the weight of the boy in question-" He explained.

"-And the attractiveness of the girl," George said, appearing at their sides. Audrina beamed.

"Glad you can join us." She said happily. He smiled at her then turned to Ginny, stern.

"But we're not selling them to our sister," He said, with a pointed look between Ginny and Audrina.

"Either one!" Fred said, glaring at her. She raised my hands in surrender. There wasn't a bone in her body that wanted to buy a love potion. She briefly entertained the idea of making an idiot out of Ron or Harry then shivered at the idea of romantic attention from them.

"Not when she's already got five boys on the go, from what we've-" He raged about Ginny.

"Whatever you've heard from Ron is a big fat lie." Ginny said calmly, examining a small pink pot. "What's this?" She asked, interested.

"Guaranteed ten-second pimple vanisher," Fred said offhandedly. "Excellent on everything from pimples to blackheads, but don't go changing the subject. Are you or are you not currently going out with a boy named Dean Thomas?" He demanded.

"Yes, I am. And last time I checked, he was one boy, not five." She said, handing the jar to Audrina. She offered George a few Sickles, but he glared and she slowly put the money back in her pocket, along with the little jar.

"Sorry, sorry." She said hastily.

"What're those?" Ginny asked, pointing to balls of purple and pink fluff, which were rolling around.

"Pygmy Puffs." George said, following her finger to the cage. "Miniature puffskeins, we can't breed them fast enough. So what about Michel Corner?" He demanded in turn.

"I dumped him, he was a bad loser," Ginny said, poking her finger in the cage. The Pygmy Puffs crowded around it.

"Touché." Audrina muttered. Ginny glared and she shut up, smirking, and tickled a few of the Pygmy Puffs. She knew how much Audrina hated him, and how glad she was that he was gone.

"They're really cute!" She exclaimed.

"They are fairly cuddly, yes." Fred said, sighing. "But you're moving through boyfriends a bit fast, aren't you?" Ginny turned and it was at the moment that Audrina could tell she was Mrs. Weasley's daughter. She was surprised that Fred didn't take a step back.

"It's none of your business. And I'll thank _you_ -" She hissed at Ron, who had just arrived. "Not to telling tales about me to these two!"

"That's three Galleons, nine Sickles, and a Knut," said Fred, examining the many boxes in Ron's arms. "Cough up."

"I'm your brother!" Ron protested instantly.

"And that's our stuff you're nicking. Three Galleons, nine Sickles. I'll knock off the Knut."

"But I haven't got three Galleons, nine Sickles!"

"You'd better put it back then, and mind you put it on the right shelves." He said flatly. Ron dropped several boxes, swore, and made a rude hand gesture at Fred that was unfortunately spotted by Mrs. Weasley, who had chosen that moment to appear.

"If I see you do that again I'll jinx your fingers together," she said sharply and Ron went pink.

"Mum, can I have a Pygmy Puff?" said Ginny at once.

"A what?" said Mrs. Weasley warily.

"Look, they're so sweet…" Audrina missed Ginny's pleading when a small Pygmy Puff leapt up on her finger. She turned around to ask Fred if she could have him, when she saw Draco through the window. He passed then glanced over his shoulder, eyes sliding right past her.

"Where's he-?" She asked herself. It seemed Harry and Hermione and Ron were wondering the same thing, because they were watching him just as intently as she was.

"Are you going to get pink? I always thought you of more purple girl." Fred muttered, breath tickling her ear.

"Shut it, Fred." She said, without turning, eyes still focused on the window. He chortled behind her.

"Ah, Rin is home." He said, resting his chin on the top of her head, a subtle reminder of how short she was.

"You know, I never thought I would miss you two this much." She said, grinning up at him mischievously. He staggered back and clutched his heart, as though he was flattered.

"Aw, Rin, I'm touched. I really am." He said, pretending to wipe his eyes of fake tears.

"Oh, stuff it." She said, smiling. He watched her browse the shelves, leaning on the counter.

"You know what?" He observed. She turned to him.

"Mmhmm?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I missed you too." He said, giving her a genuine smile, a rare thing for Fred. Usually, he was teasing and joking. But she could tell that this time, he was being truthful, and she was touched.

"Why do you sound so shocked?" She asked, pouting. He shrugged.

"C'mon Rin, lets walk." He said, offering her his arm. They walked around the store, and talked about pranks, Ron and Harry, Ron and Hermione, Harry, the war, and new ideas for products.

She debated for a long moment about telling him about Draco, about the stress and the worry that came with it. She decided not to as she listened to him speak about the Slytherin students that came into the store with distain. She kept her mouth shut and watched him deal with customers with a small smile.

When they got back, they found Mrs. Weasley, and Harry, Hermione, and Ron fighting. The three insisted that they had been in the shop the whole time and clearly she wasn't looking hard enough.

"Say your goodbyes." Mrs. Weasley said, narrowing her eyes. When it came her turn, Audrina hugged George tightly.

"Miss you!" She said lightly, and he kissed her head. Only she could hear the whisper he breathed in her ear.

"Please stay safe. I can't protect you now. Watch Ginny because Ron won't." Audrina leaned back and looked him deep in the eyes. He gave her a sad smile that disappeared instantly.

"Love you." She said quietly then moved to Fred. He picked her up and swung her around.

"We will write. And yes, we will send test projects." He promised her. She beamed and then, reluctantly, they left.

 **AN:** Thank you for reading and reviews and follows and favorites and everything! I hope you guys are liking the story. Please leave reviews telling me what you think, tell a friend, all that jazz!


	10. Chapter 10

She moaned and threw herself onto Ginny's bed dramatically. They had just gotten back and already her delight from visiting the twins had worn off. She had remembered her anger towards her parents and felt now was a good time to get her feelings about it off her chest.

"What the hell were they thinking? They can't raise a kid!" She raged. All the happiness she'd felt with Fred and George had evaporated and her parents were once again forefront in her mind. Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"They raised you." She reminded her, flipping a book open and flopping down next to her.

"Badly!" Audrina cried, putting her head in her hands.

"Well, I think you turned out alright." Ginny said thoughtfully. She waved a hand dismissively.

"Only because I was mostly raised by the Malfoy's, and your family." Audrina said, indifferently.

"Is any of this supposed to be comforting?" Ginny asked, raising an eyebrow and sorting her books into her trunk.

"No. But they can't raise a kid in war! What if something happens to it?" Audrina asked, biting her lip nervously. Ginny turned to look at her closely, a closed look on her face.

"Rin?" She asked, looking at her oddly. Audrina glanced at her, unnerved by her look of caution.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Do you think you're going to like the kid?" Ginny asked, struggling for words. Audrina was taken aback.

"Well, yeah- I mean- well, yeah!" She stuttered. Ginny tilted her head, her books forgotten.

"You do?" She asked, surprised.

"Don't I have too?" Audrina asked blankly. Ginny shrugged and turned away. Audrina stared at her back, confused by her words. She turned around and gave a small, tired smile.

"C'mon, let's go eat." She said, and got up. Audrina followed her downstairs, greatly confused.

The day of Ginny's birthday dawned cloudy and gloomy. Audrina rolled over and poked her awake.

"What?" She mumbled, annoyed.

"Happy birthday!" Audrina said happily. Ginny flipped over to face the wall, away from the noise and overly excited attitude.

"I'll be happy when it's not…. What time is it anyway?" Ginny demanded, voice muffled from the blankets that she was hiding under.

"It's 9:30." Audrina announced gleefully. She loved when she could wake Ginny up early and she couldn't be mad.

"When it's not 9:30!" She proclaimed angrily, curling up in a ball. Amused, Audrina crawled out of bed and grabbed an oversized jumper. She tossed it on and headed downstairs.

Harry was alone in the kitchen. Audrina glanced at him, then opened the cupboard and pulled out a glass. She filled it up with water and took a long drink. Then she sat next to him.

"Morning." He said quietly.

"Kind of sucks, doesn't it?" Audrina observed, looking at the surprisingly dismal weather outside.

"What?" He inquired, glancing at her.

"The morning. Too bad… Ginny wanted to go down to town and mess around with muggles for a little bit." She said, saddened that their plans now would more than likely involve the wedding. He looked at her.

"You guys do that?" He asked, amused.

"Yeah. It's really funny." She said, leaning back and grinning. He grinned back at her.

"What do you do?" He asked, interested.

"Well, sometimes we make ourselves look really weird and go see everyone's reactions, but normally we just go down there and watch muggles go about their normal business. We keep trying to take Hermione but she won't go with us anymore. Something about how people aren't entertainment. She gets the most mad when we mess up muggle stuff though." She explained. He was quiet. She took another drink.

"Do you ever…?" He trailed off, letting the question hang in the air.

"Play any pranks?" She guessed, grinning. "Please Harry, don't insult me. Fred and George raised me and I'm related to Sirius. Of course we do." She scoffed. He smiled slightly.

"He would've liked that." He said softly. She bumped him softly.

"He did. He was always giving me ideas and tips—Did you know that one time James and Sirius and Remus went to Lily's house, and Sirius tried to yank off your uncle's beard because Lily dared him to?" She told him, grinning. That startled a laugh out of Harry.

"No, I had no idea." He said, somewhat shocked. But she could tell that he believed her. It was something Sirius would do. She nodded, smiling. She took another sip and leaned back.

"And another time, Sirius got a year long ban from Quidditch." She said, grinning at the memory of Sirius laughing until he cried when he told her the story of his fifth year.

"Why?" He asked, leaning forwards onto his elbows, interested. She finished her glass and then explained.

"Because he charmed the Slytherin's brooms to beat their owners over the head." She said, wishing she had come up with that. Maybe then she could've beaten some sense into Draco. He laughed and bumped her shoulder back.

"That sounds a lot like Sirius." He admitted. She leaned her head on his shoulder sadly.

"I miss him." She admitted softly. He leaned his head on hers. The gesture was innocent enough. She saw Harry as another older brother. She had lived for eleven years hearing about how terrible he was. It wasn't easy to see him as a hero like Ginny did though she tried.

He was also the only other person to really be close to Sirius. The last summer when everyone had been living in his house it was an odd balance between her two worlds. Everywhere she looked were mementos of the family that had banished her. Sirius had bonded with her over the large tapestry that they had both been burned off.

"I miss him more." He whispered.

"It's alright." She said, trying to infuse some sort of happiness into her voice. "We can be orphans together." He glanced at her.

"You have your parents." He said, confused. She pulled a face and he set his head back down.

"Not anymore. They're replacing me with a baby." She admitted. He was quiet. After a long pause, he patted her on the arm. She heard footsteps on the stairs, and twisted just in time to see Ginny's horrified face, then she turned and ran back upstairs. Audrina sprinted after her and barged into her room. Ginny had her arms folded and was holding back a hurt expression.

"Really Rin?" She asked tightly, doing her best to look impassive and failing miserably.

"It's not what you think!" Audrina explained. The look in Ginny's eyes informed her that she was likely to show her no mercy. Audrina dove for minimal safety of the bed as Ginny blew.

"Do you like him?" She demanded. Audrina shook her head.

"No, Ginny, you know I don't." She insisted. Ginny pulled her wand and Audrina put my hands up automatically. More than once she had been on the receiving end of her curses but she knew it wasn't the wand she had to fear; that was secondary to what she was really doing.

Their entire relationship was built on the trust that they had never lied to each other, not since their first year. Ginny would remind her, usually not very gently, whenever something she had learned as a child was surface. Audrina would call her out whenever she would make general assumptions about someone. They had never flinched away from expressing their true emotions and Audrina knew if she started to lie to Ginny now she would never forget or forgive it.

"In what way to you love Harry Potter?" She demanded.

"Brotherly." Audrina answered truthfully.

"In what way to you love Ron Weasley?" She asked, an amused glint in her eyes, wand twitching.

"Brotherly." Was her answer with an eye roll.

"Do you love Draco Malfoy?" She asked, and now there was an evil glint in her eyes.

"I have." Audrina admitted, wishing that she hadn't given her the power. Ginny lowered her wand.

Audrina glared.

Ginny ran.

When Audrina had taken her down, tickled her, laughed at her for a large amount of time, then quit and helped her up, she had already forgiven her. They had ended up in the orchard and she plopped down.

"Anyways." Audrina said, as she caught her breath.

"How did you get Veritaserum?" Ginny asked. Audrina sat down, mindful of rotten apples, thoughtful.

"You know, my mom puts every known charm on the study to keep it locked. No wizard could get in; no spell could." She remembered, thinking about how she stole it fondly.

"No spell?" Ginny asked, raising an eyebrow. Audrina smirked.

"She is so busy with spells; she forgets to make sure you can't get in with..." She reached in her back pocket and pulled out my lock picking kit. "Lock kit!" She announced grandly. Ginny rested her head in her hands.

"I should've known that whenever I had to deal with my mum, you wouldn't go sit in my room and play with dolls." She muttered. Audrina grinned.

"It should've been a hint when Fred and George started calling me their prodigy." She reminded her. She just sighed and rubbed her temples.

"You know, this wasn't the way I wanted to start my birthday." She admitted. Audrina rolled my head to look at her.

"What?" She asked, unsure if she was talking about Harry, the weather, or the whole chasing her through the yard.

"Walking in on my best friend and my biggest crush cuddling in my kitchen." She admitted ruefully.

"So you still like him!" Audrina proclaimed, elated. She loved when she was right, because she had known that Ginny had loved Harry all along, though she'd never admitted it to her.

"Beside the point." She muttered darkly. Audrina grinned, making a mental note to bring this up one night when she was in a divulging mood.

"Right. Sorry. No, we were just talking about Sirius. And I told him about how we go down to town sometimes." She told Ginny, leaning back and looking at the murky clouds.

"Oh…" She said, trailing off, deep in thought.

"Besides, I know what will make it better." Audrina said, grinning and sitting up. Ginny glanced at her.

"What?" She asked, wary. Audrina grinned and gestured for Ginny to follow her. They went into the Burrow and up to her room, where Audrina dug in her trunk and pulled out her birthday present.

It was a long, old beaten chain of gold, and on the end was a small gold heart, with a diamond set in it. It was one of a few pieces of jewelry Audrina had taken from her house when she had left. She never wore it and she knew Ginny likely wouldn't but she wanted her to have it. She gently dropped the chain into her palm. Ginny gasped, and held it up so it caught the light. Audrina shifted awkwardly side-to-side, unsure of such a personal gift.

"I thought, you know, because my family jewel is a diamond, and you're my only family, so I thought—" She said awkwardly. She was cut off when Ginny flew into her arms, hugging her tightly.

"I love it." She whispered. Audrina relaxed and hugged her back. They let go and she slipped it on.

"Well, let's go play Rounds or something." Audrina said, still a little giddy that she liked my gift so much.

"Ok, but you have to let me win. 'Cause, you know, it is my birthday!" She reminded her, as they stomped down the stairs.

"I had a feeling it was going to come down to that. Let's go then, birthday princess." She said, racing her out the door.

The trio joined them at the orchard and their game was cut short when the skies opened and the downpour began. Laughing and joking, they trooped back into the kitchen, trekking mud everywhere.

"You are going to get eet on my clothes!" Fleur cried, as Ginny reached over her to grab a towel.

"Sorry." Ginny said, her tone indicating she clearly was not. Harry grinned and grabbed the towel for her.

"Just because it's your birthday does not give you permission to make a mess young lady!" Mrs. Weasley scolded.

"But Ron's making a bigger mess so you should yell at him first." Ginny pointed out and Ron threw his soaking wet shirt at her, making Fleur cry out in horror as she was splattered with mud.

Later, as they all gathered in the living room for cake and tea, Hermione bumped Audrina's shoulder.

"Did you get Ginny that necklace?" She asked her quietly and she looked up at Hermione in surprise.

"How'd you know?" She asked.

"You've got a diamond ring you never take off. I figured it was some old family tradition. Plus it's not like Ron would've gotten something like that for her so I guessed it was you." She said and Audrina nodded, impressed that she had figured it out. Then again this was Hermione they were talking about and she was more perceptive than Audrina was.

"Yeah, I thought it was fitting." She said, trying to downplay it by shrugging her shoulders.

"Was it yours before?" Hermione pressed.

"Yes." She said quietly as Harry and Ron howled with laughter at Ginny's impersonation of Snape and McGonagall.

"Does it mean a lot to you?" She continued and Audrina stared at her, wondering why she took an interest now in her life.

"Yes, why?" She demanded.

"No reason." She said quickly and moved to sit next to Mrs. Weasley. Audrina followed her slowly, confused.

 **AN:** Thanks for reading guys! Please leave me a review or a comment. I love to hear what you guys think.


	11. Chapter 11

Audrina was dangling an Extendable Ear through the floor, into Fred and George's room, where the trio sat. The admittedly bad habit of listening in on their conversations was the only thing she had to do, with Ginny trying on dresses. They could talk about some interesting things. The worst part was, the Ear was rather old, and wearing thin. She was only hearing snatches of their conversation.

"Be a lot of explanations—" That she knew was Hermione.

"—Shriveled-up arm-" She shook her head. She would never understand Ron. "-Broken objects-Malfoy-both." She leaned forward, her attention caught. She knew Ron was talking about Draco's Hand of Glory. Leaning forward caused the string to jerk, and she suddenly could hear everything.

"-Father's in Azkaban. Don't you think Malfoy'd like revenge?" Harry demanded.

"Malfoy, revenge? What can he do about it?" Ron asked, sounding startled at the idea.

"That's my point, I don't know!" Harry sounded angry and frustrated. "But he's up to something and I think we should take it seriously. His father's a Death Eater and-" He broke off, and her blood ran cold.

They seemed to be having the same thought. She remembered telling Ginny that Draco was a better man than his father. The way Harry was talking it seemed as though he felt Draco was following in his father's footsteps. She jerked upward then settled the string into place again.

"C'mon." She muttered, fumbling. Harry's next words rang clear in her mind, branding themselves in her brain.

"He's a Death Eater. He's replaced his father as a Death Eater!" He said. She fell back, pressing a fist to her mouth, to stop her scream. She clutched tight to the ear, not wanting to miss a thing they said. There was a silence; then Ron erupted in laughter.

"Malfoy? He's sixteen, Harry! You think You-Know-Who would let Malfoy join?" He asked, incredulously.

"It seems very unlikely, Harry," said Hermione in a repressive sort of voice. "What makes you think — ?"

"In Madam Malkin's. She didn't touch him, but he yelled and jerked his arm away from her when she went to roll up his sleeve. It was his left arm. He's been branded with the Dark Mark."

"Well…" said Ron, sounding thoroughly unconvinced.

"I think he just wanted to get out of there, Harry," said Hermione.

"He showed Borgin something we couldn't see," Harry pressed on stubbornly. "Something that seriously scared Borgin. It was the Mark, I know it — he was showing Borgin who he was dealing with, you saw how seriously Borgin took him!"

"I'm not sure, Harry…"

"Yeah, I still don't reckon You-Know-Who would let Malfoy join…"

Audrina had no such doubts. She knew that somewhere, deep in her mind, she had guessed that this is what was happened but couldn't bring herself to believe something like this could be true. She felt the wild panic in her heart swell up and desperately wanted to reach Draco, to see if it was all true, to reassure herself this was all a bad dream.

She leapt up, and raced down the stairs, clinging to the railing. She knew Harry wasn't wrong. She remembered the way Draco had picked and scratched at his arm, as if it was hurting him. Of course it was the Dark Mark. It was the only thing that made sense.

She passed by Harry, just leaving Fred and George's room, carrying a large pile of robes. He shouted out her name, but she couldn't hear a word he said otherwise. She went through the kitchen, almost trampling Fleur. She too, called her name, but she only went faster.

She apparated and appeared on the hill where Draco always met her. As she landed she realized with a sense of panic that someone was waiting for her, but it wasn't Draco. In a split second she saw silver robes and had a terrifyingly long moment of panic that Voldemort himself was waiting for her. Then she saw the long grey beard and let her breath out of her lungs.

"Hullo, Professor Dumbledore." She said warily, instantly taking two steps back and reaching for her back pocket.

"Lovely Ms. Black. What a surprise to see you!" He said, smiling serenely, as though the sight of her on the Malfoy property was something he had been expecting.

"Oh, I'm in so much trouble." She said worriedly. He chuckled.

"Lovely day, isn't it, Ms. Black?" He asked conversationally, glancing up at the cloudy sky.

"Yes… It's quite nice…" She said warily, aware that she didn't have her wand and mentally kicking herself. Not that she thought he'd hurt her, but one could never be sure.

"Come, take a walk with me. I do enjoy your company." He said, offering her his arm. His tone, however light, left no tone for argument. Grudgingly, she followed him as he led her away from the manor. After walking for a ways in silence, she decided to break it.

"Am I in trouble?" She asked warily. She'd been in trouble enough times with professors to know that if she just asked and got it over with, it was less painful. He chuckled again.

"Not you, and not yet." He said, amused.

"Oh…" She gave up trying to understand.

"I take it, Audrina that you know of your mother's pregnancy." He said, pausing to look at a few wild flowers. She glanced at them then looked around in the trees, wary of what he meant.

"Yes." she admitted.

"And are you at peace with it?" He asked and she was aware of how much he sounded like a concerned grandfather.

"Sure?" She offered, confused. He peered at her over his glasses and she shifted slightly, wondering if he could see her very soul.

"Mmhmm…. Audrina, where did you learn to Apparate?" He asked, curiously. She took a few steps back, her guard up. "I won't report you my dear, no. I am simply curious." He reassured her.

"Fred and George taught me last year." She admitted; her body tensed and ready to run. She had been around the two enough to whine and guilt them into teaching her for convenience. It was fairly easy; her parents had taken her enough times that the sensation didn't bother her. It came naturally.

"I thought as much." He mused.

"Will they be arrested for it?" She demanded, ready to Apparate to them and warn them.

"Of course not! Now, I suspect you aren't here to practice the skills the twins taught you." He said, smiling mildly.

"No, sir, I'm not." She stated. She wouldn't lie, but she wasn't going to tell him she was here to see if Draco had a Dark Mark either.

"Hmmm… Audrina, are you close to Mr. Draco Malfoy?" He inquired, peering at her through his half moon glasses. She hated when he did that. Then she always had to tell the truth.

"Was." She said crisply, thinking about how, for a few glorious weeks, they had talked again.

"Was?" He questioned gently.

"He was like my older brother. We stopped talking after I was sorted into Gryffindor." She told him, rubbing her forehead, trying to erase the memories she held of him. They caused more pain than joy.

"What happened?" He asked gently. She shot him a steely glare and he folded his hands. "I'm sorry if I pry. I simply wished to see if you had any contact with him." He said mildly. She frowned at him. He knew she was going to tell him.

"Is it for the Order?" She asked, testing him.

"Yes." He said simply.

"Oh." She said stupidly, surprised by his blunt answer. "Well, I was sorted into Gryffindor. I don' think he expected it. I wanted to be friends with him and I tried to talk to him but one afternoon I heard he and Blaise starting to bash my friends." She said, wincing at the memory.

"Were they speaking of Harry?" He guessed, correctly. She shook her head, remembering how her blood had run cold, as she had peeked out from an empty classroom at the sound of Draco's voice; sneering about how at least his house was trying to do something about the filth Hogwarts was permitting to study at the castle.

"He called Hermione a mudblood. It was right before Christmas break. That was the first time I decided I'd rather go home with Ginny than go back to my family and him." She explained, her stomach churning at the memory of it all. He nodded thoughtfully.

"Have you talked to him this summer?" He prodded. This prompted another steely glare from her and another rather abashed look from him. What she had said to Draco was private and she hadn't shared it with anyone, not even Ginny. She didn't want to tell him.

"Is it important to the Order?" She asked, half expecting him to tell her to stop poking her noise where it didn't belong. To her surprise, he answered her without sternness.

"Audrina," He sighed. "These days, the Order cannot be sure of its allies or its enemies." She smiled bitterly.

"Oh, of course. That's why no one told me anything last year. Because I'm an evil _Black._ " She spat.

"Audrina-" He said, attempting to put a hand on her shoulder. She twisted away violently.

"You know, Sirius felt the same way." She said, her mouth a hard line. "It took him years to prove he was loyal to the Order, and when he died, the whole entire Wizarding world thought he was a supporter of Voldemort." Dumbledore's hands fell to his sides. "That's what it's like for me. I'll always be proving my loyalty to the good people."

"Audrina—" He tried desperately. She talked over him, unable to control the rage she felt as she remembered how Sirius had tried so hard to distance himself from his family. How he had found a true family with the Potter's. How he was the only person that had showed her that she could leave everything she knew behind and yet it would still matter her entire life. Blood was blood.

"Yeah, I know that when there are traitors, I'll be at the top of list, because of my blood. And yes, Professor, I have talked to Draco. And I told him I would always stay loyal to Harry." She said, then smiled coldly and left.

They spent most of their last day packing, tossing clothes back and forth, hardly caring who packed what. Most of it would end up strewn about their room at Hogwarts anyways. Finally, when everything was packed, Ginny took her hand and handed her the note Draco had written with a quizzical expression. Audrina read it over again then tucked it into her trunk and got ready for super.

She ate her supper in silence, and whenever someone asked what was wrong, she would say that she was thinking about family. Then she went to bed, without a word to Ginny. On Ginny's part she made excuses for her and when she climbed into bed, put a hesitant hand on her shoulder then patted it and went to sleep. Audrina closed her eyes and tried to fight tears.

 **AN:** Well, here's another chapter for the weekend, thank you all so much for reading! Please leave me reviews, they make me smile!


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning, to her surprise, Ginny didn't question her behavior. She just smiled, and held up some paper.

"What's that?" Audrina asked groggily, rolling over.

"Letters." She said, simply. Audrina raised one eyebrow at her. Normally Ginny woke her up for more important things than letters. Like Harry arriving. Or a dancing gnome, as had happened one morning.

"What?" She asked, sitting up a little bit more, rubbing her eyes and pulling her hair in a loose ponytail. Ginny idled flicked through the letters.

"I tell one girl that Harry Potter might be over at my house this summer, and now every girl in our grade writes to me, asking about him-here- look at this one-" She said, handing her one from the bottom of the pile that she had thrown in the corner as it grew this summer.

"What does Harry sleep in?" Audrina read, half amused half concerned. She shook her head, grinning.

"Amazing. C'mon, let's go to breakfast." Ginny said, getting up. Audrina yawned and followed. They trooped downstairs, where Harry was eating quietly. She sat down across from him and grinned.

"Hullo Harry." She said cheerily.

"Rin." He said warily.

"So, I have a question for you." She said, taking a bite of eggs. Everyone stopped and looked at her curiously, even Fleur.

"Oh boy." He said nervously.

"The fan girls in the third year want to know. Do you sleep in boxers?" She asked, grinning. Most of his color drained out of his face. She forged on, trying to keep her composure. "Or the nude?" What color was left disappeared from his face. Ginny groaned and put her head down.

"I knew it was a bad idea to show you those letters." She moaned as Harry sat up straight, speechless.

"What letters?" Ron demanded. Audrina grinned cheekily and then leapt up as an owl flew in.

"Yes!" She cried, jumping up. Ginny looked up, interested.

"Is that-?" She asked, hopefully. Audrina nodded gleefully. Ginny jumped up too, and they tore the paper apart. Ron stared as Audrina lifted out her pink Pygmy Puff. Ginny lifted out its twin, in purple.

"Mine's a girl." She announced.

"Boy." Ginny said, grinning and letting it nuzzle her palm.

"You bought it?" Mrs. Weasley roared. Ginny stood her ground.

"Ron has-" She said, defensively.

"I don't care what Ron has!" Mrs. Weasley yelled. Quickly, Audrina slipped outside. She looked at the little fuzz ball as she hopped around delightedly in her palm, nibbling at her fingertips.

"Maya. My little princess." She said, jokingly, deciding that that was going to be her name.

"AUDRINA!" Mrs. Weasley hollered frantically from inside. She ducked back into the house.

"Yeah?" She asked sweetly. When Mrs. Weasley screamed and yelled at her, the more she knew that she loved and cared about her. And it was a relief to have a mom there to care about her.

"We have to go!" She said, frazzled, running around the kitchen, trying to find things. Ginny ignored her.

"Mine's Arnold." She told her, grinning and petting it.

"Maya." Audrina told her. She raised an eyebrow. Ron looked back and forth between them, grinning.

"Aw, cute!" Hermione said, picking Ginny's up. "Ow!" She exclaimed, as it bit her sharply. Ron stifled a laugh and Harry turned to hide a smile.

"GIRLS! WE DO **NOT** HAVE TIME FOR THIS!" Mrs. Weasley thundered, from a few floors above them. Ginny and Audrina grinned at each other then dodged the blows Mrs. Weasley sent them as she raced through the kitchen.

For the most part, the trunks were packed. Audrina stuffed Maya in Lyra's cage and after a couple furious hoots and sharp nips aimed at the fluttering purple ball, Lyra settled with glaring at her furiously.

They gathered their stuff and walked out the door, then paused to watch Harry and Fleur exchange goodbyes. Audrina held up three Gallons.

"Ron's gonna make an idiot of himself." She predicted. Ginny eyed the money then shook her head.

"Not taking that; you'll win, hands down. Watch, he trips." She bet, smirking as Ron nearly dropped Pig-widgeon's cage watching Fleur stride out of the house, hair billowing.

"Au revoir, 'Arry." Fleur said, giving him a kiss. Both Ginny and Audrina swung around to watch Ron stumble forward hopefully, but his dreams were dashed when Ginny subtly stuck her foot out. Ron went flying. As he scrambled up, Audrina handed Ginny the three Gallons.

"I'm not even angry that you cheated, that was classic." She said, clenching her mouth shut to keep from laughing. Ginny pocketed them with a smug look and they all climbed into the car. Ron pointedly refused to say goodbye or look at Ginny and Audrina the entire ride.

Audrina strained to look out the window as they arrived at Kings Cross Station. When she spotted the two Aurors, she threw Harry a dirty look. He looked at them and flinched.

"Sorry." He said guiltily. When they got out, they wasted no time in steering the group onto the platform. Mrs. Weasley fluttered her hands around them, frenziedly looking about. Ginny and Audrina, along with Ron and Hermione, and mostly everyone else ignored them.

"Quick, quick, through the barrier," Mrs. Weasley said, slightly red in the face, flustered by the Aurors looking at her. "Harry had better go first-" One Auror grabbed Harry's arm, which was a mistake. Harry wrenched his arm away from him, frowning.

"I can walk, thanks." He said icily, and walked through the barrier. Ginny offered her arm, and Audrina took it. Ginny tossed her head.

"I can walk, thanks!" They both chorused. That earned them dirty looks from Hermione, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and the remaining Auror. Giggling, they went through the barrier.

Instantly Ginny and Audrina set off. Ginny was looking for Dean, and Audrina made a beeline for a girl with long brown hair, deftly braided, with a blue ribbon wound in it. She slipped a cold hand down her back.

"ADAM! I'M GOING TO- Audrina!" She yelped, beaming. She smiled at her, and hugged her slightly.

"Fallon, glad to see you again." Audrina said, smiling at her second best friend. She stepped back, beaming. She turned slightly and light glinted off her chest, a trademark sign for a prefect.

"Guess what…" She said gleefully. Audrina gasped, mind reeling with possibilities. If Fallon was a prefect, then she could do anything she wanted, and not get in trouble, as long as she was the one who caught her.

"No way." Audrina breathed, delighted. Fallon hugged her again.

"Are you proud?" She asked her eagerly.

"Are you kidding me? Overjoyed!" She said gleefully. Fallon frowned slightly, looking suspicious.

"Why…?" She asked, now wary. Fallon had known her since second year, and three years was enough for her to know that anytime Audrina was excited about authority, she was excited for her own special reasons. Those ideas almost always involved trouble and pranks.

"Cause now you can bail me out anytime." Audrina said sweetly. Fallon narrowed her eyes then rolled them.

"I'm resisting the urge to bang my head against the wall." Fallon told her, but her eyes were twinkling.

"That's good. It tends to hurt." Audrina said, pleasantly. Fallon nudged her slightly but laughed.

"So I've noticed. Jace is here. Duck." Fallon told her. She ducked. Something large flew over her. She straightened up and looked at the bundle of jeans and a tee shirt that was now laying on the platform.

"Jace King, back from the dead." She said, amused.

"Damn straight." Jace said, picking himself up.

"C'mon, my friends. It's time to go!" Fallon said, shepherding them towards the train, forever the mother. They got onto the train, and Audrina looked for Ginny. She was dodging through the crowded train, in search for Dean, no doubt. Audrina rolled her eyes then jumped up in fright when someone slid an arm around her waist. She looked up, and grinned at Adam.

"Rin, dear, how I have missed you." He said grandly. Fallon walked by, unfazed by him.

"He went to acting class over the summer. He'll be talking oddly for the next… Five weeks or so." She informed her, grinning.

"Lovely." Audrina said, amused then looked at Adam's tall frame. "Missed you." She muttered.

"Missed you too, Rin dear." He said affectionately. They entered a compartment and threw their bags into the rack.

"Is Gin gonna come here and-" Jace began to ask, but they all leapt for him, putting their hands over his mouth.

"Don't jinx it!" Audrina cried.

"Jinx what?" Ginny asked. They all turned and Audrina suppressed a groan. Jace didn't bother. He groaned loudly.

"Is your loser of a boyfriend coming too?" Adam asked, making a face. Ginny glared, but her retort was cut short when Zacharias Smith walked by. He stopped and did a double take.

"Ginny- Audrina-!" He blurted out, surprised. Adam and Jace stepped forward protectively. "So what happened? You know, at the Ministry, with Potter-Bet you girls didn't even fight, because everyone knows girls can't fight, I mean, come _on_ -" He scoffed, looking over his shoulder to grin cockily at his cronies, who chuckled.

"Shut up." Audrina warned. Ginny didn't bother with words. Her wand appeared next to Audrina's left earlobe and Zacharias Smith got a face full of the Bat-Bogey Hex. Audrina simply moved aside when he fell.

"Anyways." Ginny said, pocketing her wand. Suddenly a huge teacher came stomping down the hall. Fallon, Jace, Adam, and Audrina shared a look. Then they slammed the door shut and locked it, leaving Ginny outside with Smith and the teacher.

"Kinda pointless, having locks on doors when we can just magically open them." Jace said, thoughtfully. They all ignored him, watching the blurry outlines of Ginny and the teacher. Then the teacher bumbled away. Ginny stood there, then shrugged and unlocked the door. "Like that!" Jace shouted. Ginny just looked at him quizzically and then turned back to them.

"I'm impressed Ginny. That's got to some of the fastest detention I've ever seen. Train hasn't even left yet. Frankly I'm jealous you've got the record. Well, what'd he give you? Two weeks? Three?" Audrina guessed.

"Try he wants me in his carriage for lunch. You too, Rina." She said, sitting down with a dazed and confused expression.

"Why?" She asked, making a face.

"Maybe he fancies you?" Jace teased, reaching in his trunk and pulling out a bag. Ginny made a face.

"He calls it the 'Slug Club'. Damn creepy, that's what I say." She announced, taking a book out of her bag. Jace tossed me a Chocolate Frog.

"Oh! Thanks dear, I love you." Audrina called, catching it and pulling the box open. Jace just nodded, distracted again.

"Anyways. To answer your question, Adam dear, yes, Dean is coming." Ginny said, smiling sweetly at him. They all made faces.

"Can you say—?" Fallon started, and Ginny drew her wand, with a glare reminiscent of Mrs. Weasley.

"Can it, or you can match Smith." She warned them. They all shut up promptly. They didn't doubt her.

 **AN:** I'm back! Hope you enjoy this chapter- I have made a couple OCs to fill in the gap left since JKR never really described the people in Ginny's year, but I like the idea of all the different houses being friends. Please leave your thoughts!


	13. Chapter 13

"Do you remember that one time, last year?" Jace asked Audrina. She popped another jellybean into her mouth, thinking.

"That one time, with the one prank?" She asked, dubiously.

"No, not that prank, the one time with the _other_ prank." Jace corrected, frustrated.

"Oh, the one that got me two weeks of detention?" She suggested, grinning at the memory.

"Yeah!" Jace said, grinning. Fallon looked at them.

"Wait, what?" She asked, confused. Audrina grinned.

"I swear, enchanting a teacup to bite Umbridge every time she took a sip was a great bit of magic." She protested.

"Shame it got you two weeks of writing lines." Ginny reminded her and Audrina grimaced, rubbing her hand out of habit. There was still a faint scar there from her quill that read, 'I must behave'. Out of all her scars, this one she hated with a passion.

The door opened and Dean walked in. Jace made a rude gesture and Audrina flicked a loose piece of parchment at him. Ginny and Dean were swept up in a storm of kissing and hugging.

"Oh, Rin!" Jace said, clutching his heart. "How I have missed you!" He cried. She fell to the floor, holding tightly to his hand.

"Yes, my dear, my sweet, Jace! I missed you too!" She said dramatically. Ginny aimed her wand. Jace and Audrina both straightened up and smiled angelically at her. She turned to Fallon.

"Can't you control them?" She begged her desperately. Fallon looked up from her book, and looked blankly at Ginny.

"Gin, if I had found a way to shut them up, don't you think I would've done it by now?" She asked her pointedly. Ginny thought about it.

"Good point." She admitted, then turned and leaned against Dean. They began to whisper in each other ears coyly. Audrina rolled her eyes.

"Thank you." Fallon said, amused, and turned back to her book. Ginny glared at them, and Jace and Audrina exchanged glances.

"Well, what's up?" She asked, rolling so her head dangled from the seat and her feet stuck up in the air. Dean looked at her, then at Jace, who was hanging upside down also.

"My summer was fine, thanks…" He said slowly, as Audrina poked Fallon in the face with her toe.

"Do you still have an owl Dean?" Audrina asked sweetly. He looked confused, but nodded. "Oh, I was just curious, considering it seemed like he'd probably die from exhaustion from flying to the Burrow so much."

"Rin." Ginny hissed hotly, glaring daggers at her.

"RIN! STOP POKING ME WITH YOUR FOOT!" Fallon yelled, fed up. Audrina had learned long ago that the easiest way to annoy Fallon was to push her past her boundaries. And she was often successful.

"RIN! DID YOU EAT MY PEANUTS?" Jade demanded, glancing in his bag and glaring up at her.

Dean looked at her. Fallon was pointing her wand at her foot. Jace was holding an empty bag, looking quite wounded. Ginny just pouted.

"You have a talent for pissing everyone off, did you know that?" Dean asked, looking around in awe. Audrina smiled brightly.

"I'm a Black."

Audrina was bored. There was no doubt. Jace was asleep. Adam was in a book, as was Fallon. Ginny and Dean were so tangled up with each other she couldn't even look at them for fear of gagging. With a sigh, she flipped off the seat, and reached into her bag. She pulled out her diary. Jace flickered awake.

"What's that?" He asked warily.

"My book of magical evil spells." She retorted, surprised and amused that he could wake up on command.

"Oh. Thought you had food. Shame." He said sadly. Then he was asleep again. She shook her head and pulled out her quill and sucked on it thoughtfully. Then she ripped a page out and swiftly jotted down her idea.

 _Dear Fred and George,_

 _I miss you two so much. But I know you guys are busy at the shop. I'll come visit soon. But here's an idea that just hit me. Joke Sugar Quills. Instead of being sweet, how about sour, or gross? If you send me a prototype, I'll try it on Ron! I miss you both so much, and I'm not looking forward to Hogwarts with you two not there. Don't you dare forget to write to me!_

 _Love,_

 _Your Princess, Rin-Dear_

She sighed and sat back.

"Lyra?" She called. She hooted and flew down from where she had been watching Maya and Arnold disdainfully. It was clear she wasn't taking the addition to their little family very well. She gave her the note. "You know where the twins live now, right? Not the Burrow, but the joke shop. Give them a good nip from me, ok?" She told her. She gave a hoot. She kissed her furry head and opened the window. With a disgruntled shake, she let Audrina toss her out. With that, she turned back to her diary.

 _Dear Diary,_

 _I've never missed anyone more than I miss Fred and George… Not even Draco. This isn't the lost friendship type feeling, it's the, two people that I love have just moved out of my life and I don't know how to cope…It's like when my parents declared me an unfit heir. But this time, it's about forty times worse. Funny story, the way I became their little Princess._

She looked up, frowning. The memory was a bit hazy. She closed her eyes and let herself drift back to her second year at Hogwarts.

 _"_ _Hey!" A voice screamed out. I looked up from my breakfast, startled. "Ginny!" The voice was just behind me. Ginny, who was sitting at my right, whipped around, unfazed at the yelling._

 _"_ _What?" She demanded. It was her two older brothers, the twins, Fred and George. I had been at Hogwarts for not more than a week last year before I had learned to duck out of their way._

 _"_ _Oh, hey Audrina." One said, taking note of me and smiling._

 _"_ _Hi... Fred?" I guessed. He beamed._

 _"_ _She's good!" He told his sister, surprised. She rolled her eyes and snuck me an amused glance._

 _"_ _She's guessing. Now what do you want?" She asked, taking another bite and glancing at the paper nonchalantly._

 _"_ _Doesn't matter if she was guessing, she got it right, which is more than you or mum can say most days. Now," The twin that had to be George started, before Fred interrupted him._

 _"_ _Come play a game with us." He asked, or rather, ordered. Ginny looked at me. We had found out that fall in flying lessons that we were both great flyers and worked well together._

 _"_ _I'm bringing Rin." She told him. I was taken back but how loud and brash they were. My family wasn't like that, one bit._

 _"_ _Who's Rin?" One twin asked, bewildered. Ginny looked pointedly at me. "OH! Yeah, sure, bring her, we'll for sure win." He said dismissively. Ginny gave them a shrug and me a wink._

 _"_ _We'll be out in ten." She told him. They left and Ginny grinned at me. I grinned back at her. "They're pretty good fliers. They just want practice before the season starts." She warned me._

 _"_ _I'm not scared of them." I promised. We hurried up to the dorm. I grabbed my broom and followed Ginny out to the pitch._

 _"_ _What's your broom?" One twin asked me curiously, as the other examined it thoroughly._

 _"_ _Holy crap, this is a Nimbus 2001!" He exclaimed. Ginny rolled her eyes, "No second year has a 2001." The other twin dismissed, taking it._

 _"_ _No!" He exclaimed, followed by several other exclamations and curses as he realized I did. Ginny beamed at me. I grinned back. Twin, 0. Gin and Rin, 1. One twin looked at her, wounded._

 _"_ _You're best friend has a Nimbus 2001, and you didn't tell us? How'd you get one?" He demanded of her, then turned and demanded of me. I glanced at Ginny nervously. She rolled her eyes._

 _"_ _Relax George. She just got it this summer." Ginny said, recognizing the look of apprehension in my face. The other twin, Fred, gaped at me._

 _"_ _Are you a princess?" He asked, exclaiming me with such force I rather felt like a zoo animal. I frowned._

 _"_ _No…" I said slowly, trying to back away. Ginny stifled her laughter at me with her hand._

 _"_ _And if she is, she's an exile." She managed then promptly burst into laughter again. I made a face._

 _"_ _Not yet." I corrected. "They said if I kept this attitude up, I would be." I informed her. George shook his head and mounted his broom._

 _"_ _Let's see what you've got." He said wickedly and we followed suit. Ginny took her position opposite me while the twins mirrored us. Fred tossed the Quaffle and we took off._

 _Ginny and I were far smaller than they were and I had a much quicker broom. We easily outscored them._

 _"_ _That's game." Ginny crowed victoriously, after the Quaffle went soaring through the middle hoop after George failed to stop it._

 _"_ _What was that?" Fred demanded of him._

 _"_ _When did you get so good?" George demanded of Ginny._

 _"_ _When did you two get so bad?" I teased._

 _"_ _PRINCESS!" They both screamed, shooting for me._

She smiled to herself. From then on, she was their little Princess. she turned back to her diary.

 _I miss my boys. They made my life fun and interesting. It's going to be a long and hard year; I have to raise a generation of pranksters all by myself. I think Ginny and I are up to it… I'll have some help from Jace too. Jace Orlando King, the American child. He was raised in the United States until he was 10, then his parents moved him here so he could go to Hogwarts. He's wild, insane, uncontrollable, a flirt, sometimes a jerk, and one of my closest friends. He's in Ravenclaw, though no one knows how he got there. He claims he's a genius by birth and lazy by choice. He's tall, with messy blonde hair, and intense green eyes, and he's always tan. He thinks he's a rebel and a bad ass, but he's not. It's amusing to watch all the girls throw themselves at him and he's got a new one every week. His best friend is Adam, the actor. He's the mysterious, brooding, depressed, wounded one of the group. We don't know, we don't ask. He's also a Ravenclaw, and has the brains to match it. He has a twin sister, Fallon, who is his polar opposite. Well, that's not true. They are identical, with brown hair, brown eyes, and fairly pale skin. But personalities are night and day different. You know exactly what she's feeling. Fallon loves to read, and she's a prefect now, I guess. But I doubt she'll help me out of trouble. I don't think I've seen her within ten feet of a boy. She's a certified genius, and that's why she's in Ravenclaw. She's second in the school to only Hermione. If you can make your own family, these are the people I choose._

 _-Audrina Carona Black_

Knocking on the door distracted her. She stretched and waved her wand so the door slid open. A little girl stepped in, and put a hand on her hip. She was short and slim. A simple necklace with a small red ruby was all the jewelry she wore. She had deep red hair, thrown into a messy ponytail.

"Hi. Can I help you?" Fallon asked politely, her prefect badge glinting. Jace woke up and rubbed his eyes.

"Who's the squirt?" He mumbled. Fallon frowned and punched him then resumed smiling kindly at the girl.

"My name is Millie." Said the little red head, glancing around nervously, like they were going to bite. Which, considering how Jace dealt with people he didn't like, was a reasonable fear.

"What do you want?" Adam asked somewhat rudely, sitting up and yawning, squinting at her.

"He means it politely." Fallon said, giving both boys a dirty look. The little girl rolled her eyes.

"Who's Audrina?" She asked bluntly. Audrina glanced around and raised her hand. "You?" She asked, clearly surprised.

"Me." She said with a shrug. She frowned.

"You're the bloodtraitor Black? First one in Gryffindor since Sirius?" She asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Maybe." Audrina said slowly, unsure of what she wanted. She didn't trust easily. Call it having a traumatic childhood. She sighed.

"Damn. I thought you'd be more exciting." She said, almost disappointed. Audrina looked at her incredulously.

"I beg your pardon?" She demanded, standing and folding her arms, staring her down.

"Well, I'm from an old family too. Bound to go to Slytherin. How'd you get out of it?" She sound bored, nonchalant, but Audrina could see the panic in her eyes. She considered not saying anything, but then she remembered how she felt when she was sorted into a different house, and how now she knew that her family was sick and wrong.

"If you have to know, it's a choice. Just say that you want out." Audrina told her, remembering her own experience. She touched her necklace. Audrina looked closely at it. "Oh, so you're a—"

"Yes, Araminta Meliflua was my grandmother." She said stiffly, letting go of her necklace as if it had burned her. Audrina smiled tightly.

"I thought so. So—" She said thoughtfully, making the connections from the family tree she had burned into her brain since she was a child.

"Yes." She said, teeth clenched. "You're my very distant cousin. Happy?" She demanded, looking ready to hit someone.

"I forget about the Meliflua side." Audrina said, thinking it through, following the branches to place her correctly.

"Whatever. My parents want me to be Slytherin. I just want to be away from them." She said, anger radiating off of her. Audrina smiled at her.

"I think we'll get along just fine!" She told her cheerfully. She stomped off in a huff, red ponytail swinging.

"You pissed her off." Ginny observed. She shrugged and leaned back, resting her head in Jace's lap, opening his suitcase to find the chocolate that he hid at the beginning of the ride.

"I told you, it's a talent!" Audrina reminded her, smiling sweetly.

"How could you tell she was a Meliflua?" Fallon asked, raising her eyebrows at her.

"Her necklace. The Meliflua family jewel is a ruby." She told her automatically. She glanced at her ring and sighed, twisting it a couple times. The diamond scraped against her other finger.

"Odd old families." Jace muttered. She frowned up at him and whacked him on the cheek.

"Shut up and move over." She instructed, glaring. Jace groaned but moved and they both shut their eyes.

 **AN:** Ok, so this chapter addresses something that was brought up but I was waiting for this chapter to explain- how Audrina fits into the Black family tree. The greatest thing about JKR is that we have some much that is canon, and while I don't want to change anything, sometimes I tweak or edit it to fit my wishes, like adding a Black as Ginny's best friend. So that's what I've done, by taking Sirius Black the first (the eldest, who died at age 8 in 1853) and extended his life to 25, where after Hogwarts he moved to France to be an ambassador of sorts to the French Ministry and met a girl and had one son, where after he died. Then, his line would continue the tradition of attending Hogwarts but marrying French women and having a couple children, until his great-great grandson Caelum married frenchwoman Odette, who gave birth to their only daughter, Audrina Carona Black. SO that was likely really confusing, but I hope no one is offended that I took the Noble House of Black and edited it the way I wanted it to be. Thanks for reading, please review!


	14. Chapter 14

Ginny poked her awake.

"Time for that meeting." She said, dragging her up.

"I don't wanna go to some stupid club." Audrina groaned.

"You'll get over it." She said with an eye roll, tugging on her wrist insistently until she got up and followed her out of the compartment. They clearly weren't the first or the last to arrive at the meeting. While the teacher, introduced as Professor Slughorn, greeted them warmly enough, he was impatiently watching the door. Ginny and Audrina sat off to one side, unsure what to do, not making eye contact with anyone around them, majority of whom appeared to be Slytherin.

"Harry, m'boy!" said Slughorn, jumping up at the sight of him so that his great velvet-covered belly seemed to fill all the remaining space in the compartment. His shiny bald head and great silvery mustache gleamed as brightly in the sunlight as the golden buttons on his waistcoat. "Good to see you, good to see you! And you must be Mr. Longbottom!"

Neville nodded, looking scared. At a gesture from Slughorn, they sat down opposite each other in the only two empty seats, which were nearest the door. Harry glanced around and seemed to be surprised at the sight of Ginny and Audrina, crammed into a corner.

"Why am I here?" She hissed to Ginny and Ginny elbowed her in the side sharply, making her jump in pain.

"Now, do you know everyone?" Slughorn asked Harry and Neville. "Blaise Zabini is in your year, of course -—-" Audrina struggled not to look towards Blaise; she had known him since childhood but they hadn't spoken since the sorting ceremony. "This is Cormac McLaggen, perhaps you've come across each other — ? No?" McLaggen, a large, wiry-haired youth, raised a hand, and Harry and Neville nodded back at him.

"Didn't he try to kiss you one Christmas?" Ginny asked her under her breath and Audrina made a disgusted face.

"I hope not."

"— And this is Marcus Belby, I don't know whether — ?" Belby, who was thin and nervous-looking, gave a strained smile. "Well maybe you know Ms. Black, yes? — And this charming young lady tells me she knows you!" Slughorn finished. Ginny and Audrina grimaced at Harry and Neville from behind Slughorn's back.

"Can we leave yet?" Audrina asked her and Ginny gave her a stern look.

"Well now, this is most pleasant," said Slughorn cozily. "A chance to get to know you all a little better. Here, take a napkin. I've packed my own lunch; the trolley, as I remember it, is heavy on licorice wands, and a poor old man's digestive system isn't quite up to such things... Pheasant, Belby?" Belby started and accepted what looked like half a cold pheasant.

"Gross." Ginny commented quietly.

"I was just telling young Marcus here that I had the pleasure of teaching his Uncle Damocles," Slughorn told Harry and Neville, now passing around a basket of rolls. "Outstanding wizard, outstanding, and his Order of Merlin most well-deserved. Do you see much of your uncle, Marcus?" Unfortunately, Belby had just taken a large mouthful of pheasant; in his haste to answer Slughorn he swallowed too fast, turned purple, and began to choke. "Anapneo," said Slughorn calmly, pointing his wand at Belby, whose airway seemed to clear at once.

"Not… not much of him, no," gasped Belby, his eyes streaming. Ginny and Audrina struggled to contain their giggles.

"Well, of course, I daresay he's busy," said Slughorn, looking questioningly at Belby. "I doubt he invented the Wolfsbane Potion without considerable hard work!"

"I suppose…" said Belby, who seemed afraid to take another bite of pheasant until he was sure that Slughorn had finished with him. "Er... he and my dad don't get on very well, you see, so I don't really know much about..." His voice tailed away as Slughorn gave him a cold smile and turned to McLaggen instead.

"Now, you, Cormac," said Slughorn, "I happen to know you see a lot of your Uncle Tiberius, because he has a rather splendid picture of the two of you hunting nogtails in, I think, Norfolk?"

"Oh, yeah, that was fun, that was," said McLaggen, puffing up at once. "We went with Bertie Higgs and Rufus Scrimgeour — this was before he became Minister, obviously —"

"Ah, you know Bertie and Rufus too?" beamed Slughorn, now offering around a small tray of pies; somehow, Belby was missed out. "Now tell me..."

Audrina realized very quickly that everyone here seemed to have been invited because they were connected to somebody well known or influential — everyone except Ginny. She wondered whether Slughorn knew that she had been cast out by her family and was dreading his interrogation.

Zabini, who was interrogated after McLaggen, told everyone of his famously beautiful witch for a mother. Audrina already knew that she had been married seven times, each of her husbands dying mysteriously and leaving her mounds of gold and had wondered since childhood why everyone thought she was so beautiful and why Blaise was so vain about it.

It was Neville's turn next: This was a very uncomfortable ten minutes, for Neville's parents, well-known Aurors, had been tortured into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange and a couple of Death Eater cronies. She felt pity for Neville; he clearly didn't want to be here any more than she did. Sadly after Neville, Slughorn switched his attention to her.

"And Audrina Black, what an interesting person!" He said jovially, clapping her shoulder. "Tell me, how is your father faring? I heard he recently settled a large deal for the Swiss Ministry!"

"He did?" She asked in surprise, wondering what group he had managed to worm his way into now.

"Well, you don't know?" Slughorn gaped at her and she bit her lip, wondering if she was going to go the way of Belbey. From the smug look on Blaise's face she knew she was about to be ignored.

"You'll have to forgive me sir, but I'm not in a terrible amount of contact with my family. I'm a Gryffindor, see?" She said slowly and for some reason this only made him laugh even harder.

"Ah, yes! What a rare girl indeed. First since Sirius, yes?" He asked and she nodded, tensing up at Sirius's mention. "Well, a brave girl indeed!"

"Thank you, sir?" She said slowly. He paid her no mind.

"And now," said Slughorn, shifting massively in his seat with the air of a compere introducing his star act. "Harry Potter! Where to begin? I feel I barely scratched the surface when we met over the summer!" He contemplated Harry for a moment as though he was a particularly large and succulent piece of pheasant, then said, "'The Chosen One,' they're calling you now!"

"He's always been that." Ginny muttered, stabbing her pie furiously, not looking up.

"Of course," said Slughorn, watching Harry closely, "there have been rumors for years. ... I remember when — well — after that terrible night — Lily — James — and you survived — and the word was that you must have powers beyond the ordinary —" Zabini gave a tiny little cough that was clearly supposed to indicate amused skepticism. An angry voice burst out from next to her.

"Yeah, Zabini, because you're so talented... at posing…" Ginny spat angrily, her pie now a splattered mess on her plate.

"Oh dear!" chuckled Slughorn comfortably, looking around at Ginny, who was glaring at Zabini around Slughorn's great belly. "You want to be careful, Blaise! I saw this young lady perform the most marvelous Bat-Bogey Hex as I was passing her carriage! I wouldn't cross her!"

"At least he's a quick learner." Audrina sniggered as Ginny glared across the table. Zabini merely looked contemptuous.

"Anyway," said Slughorn, turning back to Harry. "Such rumors this summer. Of course, one doesn't know what to believe, the Prophet has been known to print inaccuracies, make mistakes — but there seems little doubt, given the number of witnesses, that there was quite a disturbance at the Ministry and that you were there in the thick of it all!"

"Lots of us were." Ginny muttered, looking angrier every second Slughorn kept talking.

"Yes, Ms. Weasley, but Harry… So modest, so modest, no wonder Dumbledore is so fond — you were there, then? But the rest of the stories — so sensational, of course, one doesn't know quite what to believe — this fabled prophecy, for instance —"

"We never heard a prophecy," said Neville rather quietly, turning geranium pink as he said it.

"That's right," said Ginny staunchly, looking at Slughorn fearlessly. "Neville, Rin, and I were there too, and all this 'Chosen One' rubbish is just the Prophet making things up as usual."

"You were all there too, were you?" said Slughorn with great interest, looking from Ginny to Audrina to Neville, as they all sat clam-like before his encouraging smile, not saying a word. "Yes... Well... it is true that the Prophet often exaggerates, of course…" Slughorn said, sounding a little disappointed. "I remember dear Gwenog telling me (Gwenog Jones, I mean, of course, Captain of the Holyhead Harpies) —"

He meandered off into a long-winded reminiscence, but Audrina dozed off as McLaggen shot Ginny and her roguish looks. The afternoon wore on with more anecdotes about illustrious wizards Slughorn had taught, all of who had been delighted to join what he called the "Slug Club" at Hogwarts. Finally the train emerged from yet another long misty stretch into a red sunset, and Slughorn looked around, blinking in the twilight.

"Good gracious, it's getting dark already! I didn't notice that they'd lit the lamps! You'd better go and change into your robes, all of you. McLaggen, you must drop by and borrow that book on nogtails. Harry, Blaise — any time you're passing. Same goes for you, two ladies," he twinkled at Ginny and Audrina. "Well, off you go, off you go!"

Gratefully, they hastened out of the compartment, both letting out sighs of relief as they hurried to catch up with Harry and Neville. Blaise brushed past Audrina with a dirty look then shot one towards Harry.

I'm glad that's over," muttered Neville once they caught up to them. "Strange man, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he is a bit," said Harry, his eyes on Zabini. "How come you ended up in there, Ginny?"

"He saw me hex Zacharias Smith," said Ginny. "You remember that idiot from Hufflepuff who was in the D.A.? He kept on and on asking about what happened at the Ministry and in the end he annoyed me so much I hexed him — when Slughorn came in I thought I was going to got detention, but he just thought it was a really good hex and invited me to lunch! Mad, eh?" She said, shaking her head.

"Better reason for inviting someone than because their mother's famous," said Harry, scowling at the back of Zabini's head, "or because their uncle —" But he broke off. "I'll see you guys later," said Harry under his breath, pulling out his Invisibility Cloak and flinging it over himself.

"But what're you — ?" asked Neville.

"Later!" whispered Harry, and darting off.

"C'mon little girl. Let's change." Ginny said, tugging Audrina back towards their compartment. Everyone else was already dressed. She pulled on her robes with ease and stepped into the hallway. She spotted a red head that wasn't a Weasley and plowed over to her.

"Millie." She called, shoving the younger students out of her way easily. She turned at her shout.

"What?" She asked, looking Audrina up and down with a wary look. She glanced at her necklace.

"Don't throw it in the lake. The squid will return it. And it's because at one point, it's going to be all you have left." She told her softly, remembering how she had felt that fall day after a nasty letter and how the ring had been set back in her lap carefully. Looking back on that day, she realized how glad she was that it'd been returned to her. Millie's eyes went wide.

"How'd you-?" She asked, almost in awe. Audrina smiled and wiggled her finger, so her diamond sparkled.

"Good luck. If you do make it to our house, sit by me." She told her with a soft smile. She knew what it was like. She'd been there. Then she went back to Ginny. She helped her into the carriage.

"What was that about?" She asked lowly. Audrina just turned to smile at the girl, who stared at her, awe struck.

"I think I just made myself into a legend." She said thoughtfully. Ginny shook her head.

"As long as you don't traumatize her." She said ruefully. Audrina grinned even wider, shaking her head.

"Too late."

 **AN:** Sorry this chapter is a little short, I feel Slughorn deserves his own chapter... Please let me know your thoughts!


	15. Chapter 15

Audrina twirled her spoon and tapped Ginny's head with it.

"What?" She demanded. Dumbledore had just gotten done with his speech and the Sorting Song was winding down.

"Harry's not here." She said, glancing around in search for the absent raven-haired boy.

"I know." She said sharply, fed up. Audrina frowned sadly.

"No need to yell..." She said, pretending to be wounded. Ginny rolled her eyes, but apologized.

"Sorry. Now hush, the little kids are going to be sorted soon. Your little Millie is going to be up in a few." She told her, gesturing over her shoulder. She turned her attention to the little huddle.

"They get smaller and smaller." Ron said, amazed, and she would admit that he had a point. She'd never been that small, she was sure of it.

"Shut up Ron!" Hermione hissed, craning her neck.

"Harry's not here." Ginny, Ron, and Audrina said. She glared.

"I know. And what if something's happened to him?" She said, her tone dropping from her normal into her worried one. Audrina shrugged.

"It's not like he's the Chosen One or anything." She said dismissively. Ginny set her head down, fed up.

"How do I deal with you?" She wondered, muffled.

"Ooh, Millie's up!" Audrina said, leaning forward. As she turned, Audrina caught a flash of red and smiled. Mille's eyes found hers, and they both smiled. She sat down and the hat covered her eyes. Audrina put her head down too, and prayed to any God that the little girl would be sorted to her house.

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat screamed, after a few long seconds of total silence. Audrina leapt up, while the rest of the house clapped politely and those closest to her looked up at her in confusion. As far as they were aware, she was just another little first year.

"YES!" She cried, pumping her fist into the air. Millie bounded off the stool and ran straight to her. She grabbed her shoulder and sat her down in between Ginny and herself. Millie looked shell shocked.

"Oh… Oh!" She said, eyes wide and glassy. Audrina grinned. She'd be better in a bit. She was probably mulling over what the hat had said to her to sort her into Gryffindor. She made a mental note to ask her what she had said to be sorted with her.

"You're going to be alright." She reassured her. After a few minutes, she seemed to recover enough to talk.

"Sorry. Shocked." She said, glancing around, as if seeing the Great Hall for the first time.

"It's normal." She said with a smile. "Wanna meet everyone?" She asked, seeing how she was looking around in interest.

"Sure." She straightened up.

"Alright. I'm Audrina Black. That's Ginny, she's a Weasley. If the hair didn't give her away, nothing will." She said, pointing her out.

"The growth on her arm?" Millie asked sweetly, craning her neck to see Dean. Hermione covered her mouth in shock, but thankfully some boy had just gotten sorted into Gryffindor, and everyone was cheering like mad so Ginny didn't hear the comment. Audrina smiled.

"I just might be extremely fond of you right now." She said, glancing at her in surprise.

"Good." She said with a proud smile. Audrina grinned; maybe she had her prodigy on her hands already.

"And it's Dean, so you know. Second red head is Ron. He's annoying. Don't let his good looks and charm fool you." She said, sarcasm evident. Hermione, Ginny, and Millie all snorted. Ron glared. "Sorry. Forgive me. And you know that old guy?" Audrina asked, gesturing to Professor Dumbledore. "The one in the dress?" Hermione looked at her, horrified.

"Audrina! You can't refer to Professor Dumbledore as 'That old guy in a dress'!" She said, halfway amused and halfway furious.

"Even if it is technically true." Millie said thoughtfully. Audrina snapped her fingers and pointed at her.

"Prodigy." She decided on the spot. Ginny looked her over.

"Really? She's kind of runty." She said thoughtfully. Audrina raised an eyebrow. "But I am not one to judge!" She said hastily.

"Good. Now, normally I'd introduce you to Harry, seeing as he'd be between Ron and Hermione. But he's not here, for reasons unknown." She said, glancing around once more to make sure he wasn't anywhere. Then she turned and gestured to Hermione. "Now Hermione is the bushy haired girl." She said, grinning deviously. Hermione punched her in the arm, hard. "Ow Hermie!" She said, offended, surprised at her strength.

"Don't call me that!" She hissed. Millie looked amazed at the outburst. Audrina pouted, rubbing her arm.

"Yeah." Ginny said, recognizing the look in Millie's face. "She's a Black. Her talent is pissing everyone off. You'll get use to it." Audrina pretended to blush and waved her hand.

"Ginny dear, you flatter me." She said, acting like a complete airhead that was had been complimented on her hair and was thrilled.

"I try." She said dryly, rolling her eyes at her.

"Food!" Dean cried and dug in. Audrina rolled her eyes at him, and Millie made a face, which made her like her just a little bit more. As she continued to point everyone out, giving little stories and bits of memories, Audrina could tell that Millie caught the tension humming in the air.

"Harry Potter's still not here." She said. Audrina made a face.

"We know." She said softly, referring to the whole entire table. It was obvious; everyone glanced around every few seconds.

"Why are you guys worrying?" Dean asked, still digging into his food. "Dessert is here!" He said happily. Audrina looked at Ginny, who made a face and shrugged. Millie shot her a 'is he for real' look, and Audrina mimed punching him. Millie burst into giggles. Grinning, Audrina turned to talk to Ron, when the doors to the hall burst open and Harry came striding in.

"Hermie…" She said in a small voice. Hermione turned to glare, then saw where she was looking.

"Oh dear." She gasped. Harry's nose was red, and not from the cold. Dried blood caked his face. Despite this, he was walking briskly, with his shoulders back, head held high. Her stomach dropped. Draco had been slightly late getting off the train; she'd glimpsed him jumping into a carriage hastily.

"Hey, I found Harry!" Millie said then took a sharp breath, her eyes wide as she realized why none of them were saying anything.

"Where've you - blimey, what've you done to your face?" Ron asked, mouth gaping, as Harry sat down.

"Why, what's wrong with it?" Harry asked, grabbing a spoon. Millie turned to look at her, amazed, as Hermione cleared Harry's face of all the blood while the entire student body turned their way.

"I know." Audrina said, winching as the blood cleared. "He's normally smarter. It just doesn't show."

"I can tell." Millie said, amused.

"Thanks," said Harry, feeling his now clean face, oblivious to the staring. "How's my nose looking?

"Normal," said Hermione anxiously. "Why shouldn't it? Harry, what happened? We've been terrified!"

"I'll tell you later," said Harry curtly.

"But —" said Hermione.

"Not now, Hermione," said Harry, in a darkly significant voice. Hermione and Ron huddled closer to Harry and they dropped their voices.

"Well there's a surprise." Audrina muttered, casting them a look.

"What?" Millie asked.

"Oh, nothing." She said, reaching for ice cream and shoveling a spoonful into her mouth, therefore cutting off the conversation. Millie, with a skeptical look, turned to talk to some fellow first years.

Inside, Audrina was secretly hurt that after spending the whole summer with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, being dragged on adventures and hiding from Fleur with them, they still didn't trust her. She had started to think that maybe they would finally include her. But she was always going to be the odd one out, the tag along. She wasn't even family like Ginny. She had no family. She was alone. She glanced at Ginny, how she was entangled with Dean. Suddenly feeling close to tears, she got up.

"What's wrong?" Millie asked her, surprised.

"Just not feeling well." She muttered, dodging past Fallon and Jace, who had drifted over to talk to her and Ginny. Fallon watched her hurry out, wide eyed. She turned around and shook her head then squeezed her eyes shut and ran for the bathrooms, where she could cry in peace.

She didn't make it. She bolted into an abandoned classroom and sat down. She rested her head on hers knees, taking slow deep breaths. She sat like that for a few minutes then opened her eyes and barely contained her shout. Draco dropped down to one knee.

"Rina! Don't scream!" He said hastily, his hands outstretched, as if to show her that he wasn't going to draw his wand on her. She took a deep breath and straightened up.

"I wasn't about to scream, thank you." She said stubbornly. He offered his hand and she shook her head. "Why are you here?" she asked, looking pointedly at the wall across from her. He sat down and glanced around.

"I could ask the same of you… I gave Potter a bloody nose and decided I needed to come in here to compose my story." He said quietly then lowered his grey eyes to hers. She gapped at him, ready to call his bluff, but she had seen Harry's face for herself.

She closed her mouth with a snap and shook her head. She stood up and turned away from him to the window. She looked at the night sky. Draco came up behind her, his body heat warming her shoulders.

"What? Come over here to gloat about almost breaking the nose of my best friend?" She asked tightly, struggling with her fight or flight instincts, which were telling her to run as fast as she could away from him and simultaneously punch him in the face.

"Harry's not your best friend. Ginny is." He said lightly. "Oh, look, there's the constellation Draco. Hmmm…" He trailed off thoughtfully and her heart hurt. Why was it that whenever he was near, he stirred up old memories? And old feelings. She sighed and bit the inside of her cheek.

"Go away." She said, tired. "I came in here to get away from the fact that I have no family. You only remind me of it." She said quietly, gazing up at the stars, trying not to turn around to face him.

"Sorry. I won't push." He said softly. With that, the heat faded. She waited then turned around. He was gone. She was surprised. The Draco she thought she knew so well never gave up a chance to poke and prod in an open wound like that. She took a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair.

She walked back to the Great Hall, glancing towards Draco. He was seated, quietly mocking Harry. For a second, she was sure she had dreamed everything that had happened in the classroom. Then she saw him turn and shake his head slightly at the sight of her. She hurried back to her seat, and snuck between Millie and Ginny.

Neither said anything about her disappearance, but without her eyes leaving Professor Dumbledore, Millie slipped her hand into Audrina's and tightened it. She smiled slightly. She was going to be all right. She decided to pay attention and tuned into Professor Dumbledore.

"Professor Snape, meanwhile, will be taking over the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." He said, his face calm despite the bomb he had just dropped on all of them.

"No!" Harry shouted, standing up. Audrina wasn't far behind him. She strained over the heads of all the other students, who were also standing, attempting to make eye contact with Dumbledore, trying to tell him that he was insane; he couldn't do this to them. She twisted around to look at Draco, who was clapping his hands leisurely, sharing smirks with Snape.

"What the _hell_ is he thinking?" She demanded. Harry turned around to share a fierce look with her.

"But Harry, you said that Slughorn was going to be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts!" said Hermione.

"I thought he was!" said Harry as they all stared at the Head Table in horror at the announcement.

"This is going to be a long year." Ginny muttered, rubbing her temples as though the very idea of Snape teaching anything but potions was giving her a headache already.

"Well, there's one good thing, Snape'll be gone by the end of the year." Harry decided savagely, sitting down with a face that was somewhere between horror and relief.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked, confused.

"That job's jinxed. No ones lasted more than a year… Quirrell actually died doing it… Personally, I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for another death…" Harry said darkly.

"Harry!" said Hermione, shocked and reproachful.

"Touché." Audrina muttered, sitting back down.

"He might just go back to teaching Potions at the end of the year." said Ron reasonably. "That Slughorn bloke might not want to stay long-term. Moody didn't." Audrina turned to Ginny and she shook her head.

"I don't know what he's thinking. Maybe he is finally gone off the deep end." She said thoughtfully.

"He went off the deep end so long ago; I think he just finally drowned." Audrina muttered, spearing her fork into the table. Absentmindedly, Millie yanked it out, her eyes on Professor Dumbledore the whole time. Ginny grinned, having reached for the fork a second after Millie.

"I like her." She said, chuckling.

"Hmmm… What? Oh yeah, she's great. Anyways. Deep end. I wanna go swimming." Audrina said, taking back her fork from Millie. Hermione held out her hand for the fork, and she gave it to her, but she was thinking several ideas over. Then Dumbledore spoke again.

"Now, as everyone knows, Lord Voldemort and his followers are once more at large and gaining in strength." He said, and instinctively Audrina looked at Harry and saw him glance at Draco. She automatically followed his gaze.

Draco was casually levitating his fork, not taking note of the speech. As if he felt her gaze, he glanced over and his face and eyes clearly said that he had no reason to worry about Dumbledore's speech. The fork dropped and he shrugged, turning his attention back to his friends, still not concerned with what Dumbledore was saying. She felt deeply cold. She shook her head slightly and returned her attention to the headmaster.

Suddenly, she felt a warm hand slip under hers. She turned to Millie, who seemed so scared and small. She frowned; would her baby sibling be like that? She smiled weakly at her.

"I cannot emphasize strongly enough how dangerous the present situation is, and how much care each of us at Hogwarts must take to ensure that we remain safe. The castle's magical fortifications have been strengthened over the summer, we are protected in new and more powerful ways, but we must still guard scrupulously against carelessness on the part of any student or member of staff. I urge you, therefore, to abide by any security restrictions that you teachers might impose upon you, however irksome you might find them — in particular, the rule that you are not to be out of after hours." For some reason he looked towards their table, and paused on Audrina for only a second longer then he should have. Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"Rin should find that 'most irksome'." She muttered. Audrina frowned, but she'd never met a rule she couldn't break.

"I implore you, should you notice anything strange or suspicious within or outside the castle, to report it to a member of staff immediately. I trust you to conduct yourselves, always, with the utmost regard for your own and others' safety." He finished. Ginny and Audrina both let out little snorts.

"Of course, you'll do that." Hermione said dryly. Millie looked her; skeptical that Ginny or Audrina would do such a thing as care about safety. Audrina grinned. She was a fast learner.

"But now, your beds await, warm and comfortable as you could possibly wish, and I know that your top priority is to be well-rested for your lessons tomorrow." Dumbledore continued. A few snickers ran through the hall and he smiled. "Therefore let us say good night. Pip pip!" He said, and with that, they were dismissed. Everyone got up, the benches scraping at in level that was almost deafening. Ginny, Millie, Ron, and Harry and Audrina waited for a second. Harry bent to tie his shoe and Audrina voiced her thoughts.

"Should I try that next?" She wondered aloud, her mind still on the swimming conversation that'd occurred earlier.

"Try what?" Ginny asked.

"Flooding the Great Hall." She admitted, thinking it through. Dumbledore was suddenly behind her, smiling serenely.

"Ms. Black. I have to admire your aspirations. You know, Sirius and James once tried to flood a classroom. I believe that their reason was they wanted to see all the girls in swimsuits. But the Great Hall... Hmmmm… Good luck!" He called over his shoulder, with an airy wave. Millie looked at her, wide eyed as Audrina grinned at the image.

"Audrina… That's Albus Dumbledore. Talking to you." She said, awed. Audrina shrugged.

"Yeah?" She asked, wondering why it was such a big deal.

"You do know that he's one of the most powerful wizards of this century." Millie said, raising an eyebrow as they wandered out of the hall, following the mass of students. Hermione caught her eye over the heads of the other first years and gave a pointed look at Millie.

"Yeah? So?" She said nonchalantly, leading them towards the stairs. Ginny leaned over to Millie.

"She gets sent to his office on a monthly basis. You'll get used to it." She explained, amused. Millie nodded, and they set off into the mass, leaving Ron and Harry to themselves.

They managed to catch up with Hermione's group of first years, depositing Millie into the middle of them, and trekked up to their dorm. After a slight blowout in her fourth year, over Harry's performance in the cup, Hermione had moved in with Ginny and Audrina.

Audrina found her trunk waiting at the bottom of her bed. She dug through her trunk and found a soft silk blanket, the color of a deep cloud. It always made her feel like she was curled up in the eye of the storm, safe. It was a small comfort, but she needed it. She closed her eyes and instantly fell asleep.

 **AN:** I would think that Hogwart's dormitories for the girls would be a little more fluid, since girls have a tendency to need more space than boys, but let me tell you, as someone who lives with 8 girls, it's difficult on it's best day. Please leave me your thoughts, I would love to hear them!


	16. Chapter 16

When she woke up to the sound of Ginny and Hermione discussing classes loudly, she rolled over, frowned, and tried to go back to sleep. She was not ready for classes to start again.

"Oh no you don't." Ginny said cheerfully, whipping her blankets off. Audrina looked at her, glaring resentfully. She smirked and walked off to the bathroom, humming. Audrina followed, drowsily. She slipped on her robes, brushed her hair, and washed her face. Hermione glanced at her.

"Audrina. You're fifteen. When are you ever going to get up without help?" She asked, already packing her bag for the day. Audrina stuck out her tongue as she breezed past her. She gathered her books and made her way down to the common room, where she wasn't shocked to see Harry, Hermione, and Ron all curled up in a little circle, listening to Harry talk.

She caught a snatch of their conversation- 'Malfoy', 'Train', 'Heard', and 'Vold-', before Hermione shushed him, glancing around to see if anyone heard. She blew past them, her face stony. She heard a bit from Ron that made her freeze as she climbed out the portrait hole.

"But he was obviously showing off for Parkinson, wasn't he?" He said quietly. She felt her heart stop; then she restarted it and pushed her way through her staring and whispering housemates. She raced down the corridors, praying that Jace was already in the Great Hall, because she was in sore need of someone to make her smile.

To her great happiness, he was. She pushed her way through a crowd of several overly excited fourth years to take a spot next to him. She looked at all the girls then at him.

"What's got them so excited?" She asked, interested, grabbing a piece of toast and a glass of juice.

"I'm single." He said, without preamble and without looking up from the Daily Prophet. She paused and shrugged. Jace went through girlfriends so fast that she scarcely kept count of which one he was on. Fallon sat down on the other side of the table. Audrina raised a fork in greeting. She raised an eyebrow then took note of Jace's groupies.

"Did you break up with Cassandra or what?" She demanded, half annoyed, half amused.

"Her name was Maddie, and yes." He corrected her. At his words, all the girls started giggling and whispering, close to giddy tears. Fallon looked at them with pity then grabbed some toast.

"So can you believe that we take O.W.L.'s this year? It's about time. Aren't you excited?" She asked, eagerly. Audrina looked at her, confused, amazed, and slightly scornful.

"Hey little Ms. Prefect, not everyone lives for tests." Jace said, eating a whole muffin in one bite. Fallon made a face at him.

"Hey little Mr. Shove My Face, not everyone lives for mealtimes." She retorted smugly. He grabbed another couple muffins and shoved them in his face. Sighing, Audrina took a napkin and wiped his face clean. He kissed her cheek and got up. Fallon watched him and his fan club go, amused and slightly smug. Audrina eyed her curiously.

"What's that smirk for?" She asked, glancing at her then at Jace's retreating back then back to her.

"He'll come back in a few seconds. He doesn't have his schedule." She smirked, content in her small victory. Audrina turned and watched him. "Five…." Fallon counted smugly. "Four… Three…" Jace's steps faltered. "Two…. One." He turned and started for the table, shoulders slightly slumped. Fallon held up a finger and Jace frowned, throwing a muffin at her. Audrina giggled.

"Well, I think I can handle going back to my table now. Thanks you two." She said, getting up and slinging her bag over her shoulder. Jace looked up at her, bewildered.

"Why couldn't you handle them before?" He asked, bewildered. She patted his head affectionately.

"I was sad. And you two cheered me up." She explained, watching as Fallon busily whipped bits of blueberry off her robes, furiously.

"Glad the ruining of my robes was for your amusement." She spat, glaring at Jace. Audrina beamed at her.

"Oh no, Fal. Watching girls pathetically throw themselves at Jace's feet so they can be used for a week or two at most was my amusement for the day." She said, sharing a knowing wink with her. She grinned in spite of herself then continued blotting. Audrina got dirty looks from the girls, but she didn't care. She was completely happy. She was home.

She sat down next to Ginny, who was studying her schedule with a pained face. "You know, you'd think that after fifteen years, you'd notice that eggs give you gas and you'd refrain from eating them." She observed. Ginny frowned and hit her solidly in the arm.

"No, my classes are totally different from Dean's!" She moped. Audrina made a face and rolled my eyes, rubbing her arm.

"Oh boo who. Move on. I keep telling you he's an ass." She said bluntly. With a huff, she whirled away from her. She followed her leisurely, eating a muffin. They entered History of Magic class. Audrina waved to several people then sat down next to Ginny. She looked at her. She held up the diary and Ginny smiled slightly. Then Audrina took out a quill and started writing.

 _Dear Diary,_

 _School. I've never come to Hogwarts being scared that I'm not safe here. Voldemort is back, and in the open… It's like the entire school has a giant cloud hanging over it. No one wants to say anything. We keep our mouths shut; we don't talk about the fact that the names in the papers are mothers, fathers, uncles, grandmothers, and friends. We don't mention to one another that another student is gone, another student is crying in the hallway because their brother has gone missing. We are seen as children and adults in the same light. We are old enough to know, to be scared, to worry for everyone around us. We are too young to fight; we are young enough to be shielded away from it all, to not know what tomorrow will bring. We are at the brink of adulthood and yet going into the real world isn't exciting. It's terrifying. Fred and George told me last year, that they were going to entrust me with pranking the socks off everyone since they're gone this year. And I'm going to do it. I'll have to work my butt off to make my twins as proud of me as I am of them. I miss them so much… The war makes me think who my family really is. Ginny, Fallon, Jace, Adam, Fred, George, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the newest member of my mini family, Millie. She's so cute. I've already decided to watch over her. She's just like me, from the old family to the defiant ways. She's my prodigy, just like how I was to Fred and George. I miss those two so much my heart hurts. Ginny was the first person to befriend me that first year and the twins followed in short order. I don't think I would have been as much of a troublemaker if I didn't have them guiding me. I was always in trouble when I was younger but the twins taught me to treat pranks like I would any class. I had to study and review and prepare and revise and test and hit the drawing board time after time. It's changed my entire outlook on how to prank someone. But I'm really am going to do them proud this year. I already have a list of pranks in mind and I'm counting on Jace to step up this year. Last year he was a helper. This year I don't have the twins and I won't have Ginny. I'll be taking over the twins' job. I remember when I had such a crush on Fred… Oh god… He really was my first crush. Well… No. Draco was. Draco… How do you fall in love with someone you hate? Is that even possible? I shouldn't be surprised that it is for me. Maybe I'm more of a Slytherin than I want to admit. I don't know. I don't know how I feel about wanting to be around him or why my heart hurts when I hear that he's trying to impress another girl. I hate that I want to see him again._

 _-_ _Audrina Carona Black_

She glanced around and sighed. Then she put her head down and nodded off easily. Ginny poked her awake. She looked up, blanking hastily to try and clear the haze from her eyes.

"S'mine awake." She said groggily. Ginny gave her a confused look. "I'm awake." She said, clearly, as her eyes adjusted to the bright classroom.

"Great. Class is over. I've got the homework." Ginny said, rolling her eyes. Audrina patted her head thankfully then yawned and ambled out. Transfiguration was next and though it wasn't her favorite subject, she was cheered up at the idea of getting to have a long break before supper. Her hopes were dashed when McGonagall called her to her desk after class.

"Audrina Black, may I speak to you?"

"Oh, Professor, she can't be in trouble yet." Ginny protested, a hint of exhaustion in her voice already. "Is she?" She pleaded. McGonagall shook her head, a smile hinting about her mouth.

"No, Ms. Weasley, not yet, though I'm sure I could find something in her file that she's gone unpunished for." She reassured Ginny and Audrina frowned. "No, I wanted to inform you that Professor Slughorn has asked that you be transferred into his 6th year class. He saw that you had the highest marks of the school last year and thinks this will be best for you." Ginny and Audrina gaped at her, both uncomprehending.

"Can I even do that?" Audrina blurted out and McGonagall frowned at her, pursing her lips.

"Well of course Ms. Black. Professor expressed interest in you specifically. Run along, I gave the same message to Potter and Weasley." With that, she shooed them out of her room.

"Not fair." Ginny hissed, jabbing her in the sides.

"Ow!" She protested, squirming away from her in case there would be more. "What was that for?"

"Leave it to you to have class with him." She huffed, storming off. Audrina rolled her eyes and followed Ginny, trying to argue with her that she was just upset about not having her classes line up with Dean's, but it was pointless. Instead, she started in on the homework for History of Magic.

"Are you coming Audrina?" Hermione called, startling her.

"Oh!" She remembered, tossing some supplies in her bag haphazardly then dashing after them. She trailed a couple steps behind them as they discussed Snape's first lesson, almost completely forgotten, until Ron glanced back at her with a confused look.

"Why are you in our class?" He asked, puzzled. Hermione smacked his chest and he glared at her. "I'm just asking!"

"I dunno." Audrina said with a shrug. "Apparently Slughorn thought my marks were good enough to get me pulled up."

"I've never been pulled up." Hermione whispered as they pushed the door open, sounding hurt. Audrina tried to squash down her guilt but was interrupted when Ernie Macmillan, a Hufflepuff in 6th year, strode up to shake Harry's hand. While they were distracted talking to one another, she took a chance to see who was in the class.

Along with Ernie and the trio, there were four Ravenclaw 6th years, all eyeing her curiously, along with four Slytherin. Her heart dropped into her stomach when she saw one of them was Draco. He looked to be trying very hard to avoid her eyes, busying himself with books.

"AUDRINA BLACK! AND HARRY POTTER!" A loud, booming voice made her jump, along with half the class. Slughorn's belly entered the room before he did, but he made a great show of shaking thier hands, beaming down at them jovially, and patting Harry's shoulder grandly.

They sat with Ernie, inspecting the simmering cauldrons in front of them. There were several and they all had a range of smells and color. Hermione was still shooting her furtive glares but she ignored her.

"Now then, now then, now then," Slughorn started, moving through the fumes slowly. "Scales out, everyone, and potion kits, and don't forget your copies of _Advanced Potion-Making…_ " Harry's hand next to her suddenly went up slowly and unsurely.

"Sir?"

"Harry, m'boy?"

"I haven't got a book or a scales or anything, nor's Ron, we didn't realize we'd be able to do the N.E.W.T., you see, and I'm not sure about Audrina," He said jerkily and Slughorn nodded thoughtfully at Harry.

"Ah yes, Professor McGonagall did mention… not to worry, my dear boy, not to worry at all. You can use some ingredients from the store cupboard today, and I'm sure we can lend you some scales, and we've got a small stock of old books here, they'll do until you can write to Flourish and Blotts..."

"I've got scales, professor." She called and when he returned he had three tattered books and two scales. He set them down with a wink at her. She snatched a book quickly as Ron and Harry scuffled for two remaining.

"Now then," said Slughorn, returning to the front of the class and inflating his already bulging chest so that the buttons on his waistcoat threatened to burst off, "I've prepared a few potions for you to have a look at, just out of interest, you know. These are the kind of thing you ought to be able to make after completing your N.E.W.T.s. You ought to have heard of 'em, even if you haven't made 'em yet. Anyone tell me what this one is?" He pointed to the cauldron nearest to Draco and Audrina struggled not to look at him, just the potion. Thankfully, Hermione's hand whistled past her, giving her an excuse to look away; Slughorn pointed at her.

"It's Veritaserum, a colorless, odorless potion that forces the drinker to tell the truth," said Hermione breathlessly. Audrina smiled in amusement- that one she knew all about.

"Very good, very good!" said Slughorn happily. "Now," he continued down the line to the next cauldron, "this one here is pretty well known… Featured in a few Ministry leaflets lately too… Who can-?" Hermione's hand went flying up yet again.

"It's Polyjuice Potion, sir," she said. Audrina looked around and saw two of the Slytherins rolling their eyes and even one of the Ravenclaw girls looking annoyed. She wondered if this was what having class with Hermione was really like and decided she was not enjoying it.

"Excellent, excellent! Now, this one here . . . yes, my dear?" said Slughorn, now looking slightly bemused, as Hermione's hand punched the air again.

"It's Amortentia!" She said easily and Audrina instantly pushed herself back away from it.

"It is indeed. It seems almost foolish to ask," said Slughorn, who was looking mightily impressed, "but I assume you know what it does?"

"It's the most powerful love potion in the world!" said Hermione, giving Audrina what seemed to be a smug smile.

'Quite right! You recognized it, I suppose, by its distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen?" He asked, looking about at the rest of them. Everyone was eyeing the potion somewhat warily.

"And the steam rising in characteristic spirals," said Hermione enthusiastically, "and it's supposed to smell differently to each of according to what attracts us, and I can smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and -" But she turned slightly pink and did not complete the sentence.

'May I ask your name, my dear?" said Slughorn, ignoring Hermione's embarrassment.

"Hermione Granger, sir."

"Granger? Granger? Can you possibly be related to Hector Dagworth-Granger, who founded the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers?" He asked excitedly and Hermione's blush went slightly redder. Ron's hands clenched into fists on the table.

"No. I don't think so, sir. I'm Muggle-born, you see." Hermione said slowly, carefully not looking towards the Slytherin table. Audrina did, however, and saw Draco lean close to Nott and whisper something; both of them sniggered, but Slughorn showed no dismay; on the contrary, he beamed and looked from Hermione to Harry, who was sitting next to her.

"Oho! 'One of my best friends is Muggle-born, and she's the best in our year!' I'm assuming this is the very friend of whom you spoke, Harry?" He asked.

"Yes, sir," said Harry.

"Well, well, take twenty well-earned points for Gryffindor, Miss Granger," said Slughorn genially. Hermione turned to Harry with a radiant expression and whispered,

"Did you really tell him I'm the best in the year? Oh, Harry!" Harry looked thoroughly uncomfortable.

"Well, what's so impressive about that?" Ron hissed, looking annoyed. "You are the best in the year - I'd've told him so if he'd asked me!" Hermione smiled but made a "shhing" gesture, so that they could hear what Slughorn was saying, although Audrina already knew most of it. She was just trying not to waft the potion, fearful of what she might smell.

"Amortentia doesn't really create love, of course. It is impossible to manufacture or imitate love. No, this will simply cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. It is probably the most dangerous and powerful potion in this room - oh yes," he said, nodding gravely at Draco and Nott, both of whom were smirking skeptically. Audrina again tried not to look his way. "When you have seen as much of life as I have, you will not underestimate the power of obsessive love... And now," said Slughorn, "it is time for us to start work."

"Sir, you haven't told us what's in this one," said Ernie Macmillan, pointing at a small black cauldron standing on Slughorn's desk. The potion within was splashing about merrily; it was the color of molten gold, and large drops were leaping like goldfish above the surface, though not a particle had spilled. This one she was curious about as well.

"Oho," Slughorn said, after a dramatic pause. "Yes. That. Well, that one, ladies and gentlemen, is a most curious little potion called Felix Felicis. I take it," he turned, smiling, to look at Hermione, who had let out an audible gasp, "that you know what Felix Felicis does, Miss Granger?"

"It's liquid luck," said Hermione excitedly. "It makes you lucky!" The whole class seemed to sit up a little straighter, including Draco, who shot up like someone had prodded him.

"Quite right, take another ten points for Gryffindor. Yes, it's a funny little potion, Felix Felicis," said Slughorn. "Desperately tricky to make, and disastrous to get wrong. However, if brewed correctly, as this has been, you will find that all your endeavors tend to succeed... at least until the effects wear off."

"Why don't people drink it all the time, sir?" said Terry Boot eagerly, eyeing the potion like he could take off with it.

"Because if taken in excess, it causes giddiness, recklessness, and dangerous overconfidence," said Slughorn. "Too much of a good thing, you know… highly toxic in large quantities. But taken sparingly, and very occasionally…" He trailed off, dramatic once more.

"Have you ever taken it, sir?" asked Michael Corner with great interest and Audrina felt a sudden urge to kick his chair over.

"Twice in my life," said Slughorn. "Once when I was twenty-four, once when I was fifty-seven. Two tablespoonful taken with breakfast. Two perfect days." He gazed dreamily into the distance. "And that," said Slughorn, apparently coming back to earth, "is what I shall be offering as a prize in this lesson." Silence fell and she heard Draco breathe,

"Oh." And thought she saw his head jerk back slightly, like he meant to glance at the table with Harry and her.

"One tiny bottle of Felix Felicis," said Slughorn, taking a minuscule glass bottle with a cork in it out of his pocket and showing it off to us all with a flourish. "Enough for twelve hours' luck. From dawn till dusk, you will be lucky in everything you attempt."

"I know who I'd try to get lucky with." Michael Corner was chortling to Terry Boot and Audrina idly debated if such a potion would allow her to get away with murder when Slughorn went back to lecturing them.

"Now, I must give you warning that Felix Felicis is a banned substance in organized competitions… sporting events, for instance, examinations, or elections. So the winner is to use it on an ordinary day only… and watch how that ordinary day becomes extraordinary!"

"No Quidditch Cup then." Audrina muttered under her breath to Ron but the comment didn't seem to amuse him like she thought it would.

"So," said Slughorn, suddenly brisk, "how are you to win fabulous prize? Well, by turning to page ten of Advanced Potion Making. We have a little over an hour left to us, which should be time for you to make a decent attempt at the Draught of Living Death. I know it is more complex than anything you have attempted before, and I do not expect a perfect potion from anybody. The person who does best, however, will win little Felix here. Off you go!"

"How's that for a first day potion, huh?" She tried to sound cheerful to Hermione but she simply bent her head over her book and pulled her ingredients towards herself.

"She'll get over it. Just bitter you're here." Ron said bracingly.

"I don't even know why I'm here." Audrina mumbled darkly. As if he heard her, Slughorn called her name.

"Ms. Black, if I could speak to you?" He asked and she huffed, setting aside her book and squeezing up to him, giving the Amortentia a wide berth.

"Professor." She said politely, once she reached the front.

"Ms. Black! Welcome, welcome. I couldn't help notice your high marks in potions my dear… a 4th year doing well beyond 7th year work… Professor Snape said you had a talent in potions…." Her eyebrows flew up at this. Snape made it very clear that he thought she was just as annoying as either Weasley twin and nearly as bad as Sirius himself, who Snape hated with something beyond a passion. Though she was an excellent student in his class, she couldn't recall the last time he had praised her work.

"Really?" She asked suspiciously and Slughorn waved a hand.

"He also said he had some very serious doubts when it came to the nature of your character, but I simply couldn't resist the chance to have another Black in my class… Regulus was such a treat. This class is smaller than my O.W.L. and I wanted to have more one on one with you. Another Black in Gryffindor, never thought I'd see it!" With a chuckle he dismissed her and she walked back to her cauldron.

"Well?" Ron asked, looking up as she sat.

"Apparently Snape doubts my character." She told them and Harry and Ron both snorted in laughter. She smacked both and set to work.

 **AN:** Well I hope you have a lovely weekend, thanks for reading, and please review!


	17. Chapter 17

The potion was advanced and though she caught Draco and Slughorn talking, then Harry's snort of laughter, she ignored it. She had never done a potion so complex and so quickly before.

"How are you going that?" Hermione asked shrilly, looking at Harry. Ron and Audrina both looked up and she saw with shock that Harry's potion was a pale pink. Hermione's was still purple while Audrina's own was only a couple shades lighter than hers.

"Add a clockwise stir -"

"No, no, the book says counterclockwise!" she snapped. Harry shrugged and continued what he was doing. Audrina was delighted when Hermione tossed an annoyed look her way, nodding at Harry. Neither of them had ever been upstaged in Potions and by Harry, of all people.

"And time's . . . up!" called Slughorn. "Stop stirring, please!" Slughorn moved slowly among the tables, peering into cauldrons. He made no comment, but occasionally gave the potions a stir or a sniff. When he reached their table he smiled ruefully at the tarlike substance in Ron's cauldron, passed over Ernie's navy concoction, gave an approving nod to Hermione and patted Audrina's shoulder with a smile. Then he saw Harry's, and a look of incredulous delight spread over his face.

"How?" Hermione muttered next to her.

"The clear winner!" he cried to the dungeon. "Excellent, excellent, Harry! Good lord, it's clear you've inherited your mother's talent. She was a dab hand at Potions, Lily was! Here you are, then, here you are - one bottle of Felix Felicis, as promised, and use it well!" Harry took the bottle and they all stared at him in amazement, Ron the most so.

"How did you do that?" he whispered to Harry as they left the dungeon. Hermione and Audrina walked side by side, stunned.

"Got lucky, I suppose," said Harry nonchalantly and she saw Hermione tensed up but stayed quiet. When they reached the Great Hall for supper she sat next to them and Harry spilled about his book and the writing on it.

"Harry!" Audrina said disapprovingly, at the same time Hermione shook her head disdainfully.

"I s'pose you think I cheated?" He said hotly, looking at her and Hermione in annoyance.

"Well, it wasn't exactly your own work, was it?" She said stiffly.

"He only followed different instructions to ours," said Ron, "Could've been a catastrophe, couldn't it? But he took a risk and it paid off." He heaved a sigh. "Slughorn could've handed me that book, but no, I get the one no one's ever written on. Puked on, by the look of page fifty-two, but-"

"Hang on," Came a stern voice and Audrina looked up in delight to see that Ginny had found them. "Did I hear right? You've been taking orders from something someone wrote in a book, Harry?" She looked alarmed and angry. They knew what was on her mind at once. Audrina caught her hand under the table and gave it a tight squeeze. She paid her little mind.

"It's nothing," he said reassuringly, lowering his voice. "It's not like, you know, Riddle's diary. It's just an old textbook someone's scribbled on."

"But you're doing what it says?" She asked him coolly, eyes still narrowed like her mother's.

"I just tried a few of the tips written in the margins, honestly, Ginny, there's nothing funny -" Harry kept trying to protest but Hermione had latched onto Ginny's words.

"Ginny's got a point," said Hermione, perking up at once from her sulking. "We ought to check that there's nothing odd about it. I mean, all these funny instructions, who knows?"

"Hey!" said Harry indignantly, as she pulled his copy of Advanced Potion-Making out of his bag and raised her wand.

"Specialis Revelio!" she said, rapping it smartly on the front cover. Nothing whatsoever happened. The book simply lay there, looking old and dirty and dog-eared.

"Finished?" said Harry irritably. "Or d'you want to wait and see if it does a few backflips?"

"It seems all right," said Hermione, still staring at the book suspiciously. "I mean, it really does seem to be ... just a textbook."

"Good. Then I'll have it back," said Harry, snatching it off the table. Ginny watched as he dropped the book with a frown, but then poked Audrina in the side with the blunt end of her knife. She gave her a look.

"Beat by Harry in Potions, that's a first." She said with raised eyebrows. Audrina flicked a bit of potato at her face.

"Shut up Ginny."

* * *

Later that night in their room, while Hermione was still downstairs with the boys, Audrina rolled over to look at Ginny as she idly flipped through a broom magazine on the floor.

"Draco is in my potions class." She informed her and her head snapped up, looking at her with intrigue.

"And?" Ginny prompted. Audrina shrugged, sliding down next to her.

"He hardly looked at me. I mean, he didn't look at me. Not for a second. But I don't know what I expected. More, I guess. You know?" She mused and Ginny rolled her eyes.

"You two will be chummy after a couple weeks." She said dismissively, turning back to her magazine. Audrina gaped at her ability to be so calm. This was a boy that she had actively loathed a couple months ago.

"You threw a bigger fit when I told you Harry was in the class." She huffed and Ginny gave a hum of acknowledgement. "I wonder if you'd be so mad if I went and flirted with Dean." Audrina said and she didn't even look up.

"Yeah." She muttered offhandedly, flicking through the pages, pausing to inspect the deals offered.

"That's too bad, cause I'm marrying Dean." Audrina tried and she just made another grunting noise. "Because I'm pregnant with his twins and we're naming one Harry." She continued and Ginny looked up with a frown.

"Do you think that the book Harry's using is really not dangerous? Keep an eye out for him. I'm worried about it." She said and Audrina hurled a pillow at her in exasperation.

"I give up with you." She huffed, climbing in bed and pulling the covers up to her chest. She reached over and picked up her diary.

 _Dear Dairy,_

 _Another year at Hogwarts. Five times I've ridden the train here and sat through a sorting song, got up for classes on the first day and prayed not to have Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Slytherins. But this year it's all going to be different. I can just feel it. Maybe it's because the twins aren't here and I'm going to be in charge of doing all the pranks. Or maybe it's because I'm one of the older kids now, in charge of watching out for all the little first years. Maybe it's just because I have a class with Draco now and that's never happened before. Now I'll actually have to see him every single day, for better or worse. Not just in passing but in an actual classroom. We'll have the same homework and exams. Of course I sit next to the trio so it's not like he'll ever look my way but it makes me so mad with myself that I want him to. What would I even do if he did look my way? I'm not insane; I know Harry and Ron might start a fight. I don't even think wands would come out, just fists. Four years of classes here and it has to be this year that I'll be worried about going to class each day and seeing him. I don't know about anything anymore._

 _-_ _Audrina Carona Black_

 **AN:** Sorry this chapter is a little short, but please leave me your thoughts and feedback. Thanks for reading!


	18. Chapter 18

The cold edge of fall started to creep into the wind over the next few weeks, making them linger in the sunlight between classes, savoring the last bit they would get until spring. Classes and homework started back up with a vengeance, burying them in the common rooms and library. Audrina was working with Fallon on Ancient Runes in the library one evening when Ginny and Jace stormed in, covered head to toe in mud.

"You look terrible." Fallon said happily.

"Don't ever do favors for her." He grumbled, flicking a bit of mud at Ginny. Madam Pince descended, shrieking at him. She herded Ginny and Jace out then swooped back, grabbing Fallon's and Audrina's robes as well.

"But I'm not done!" Fallon protested. Madam Pince paid her no mind and slammed the doors shut behind them with gusto.

"It's not like you can argue with her." Ginny commented, leading them towards the Great Hall.

"And you still haven't told us about the mud." Audrina reminded them and Ginny shrugged indifferently, picking a bit off of her forehead.

"Hagrid got a batch of Crups in the other day. He asked if I could come down and help him out with them." She said lightly but Audrina still flinched in guilt. She knew Ginny had only asked Jace for the help since she was now spending the vast majority of her time on her Advanced Potions homework.

"Just don't sit by me." Fallon warned Jace, as they split off to the Ravenclaw table. Audrina sat next to Ginny, glancing around at their classmates. Girls with frizzy hair had quills stuck through their ponytails. One boy had a streak of ink on his cheek. Hermione had bits of paper stuck in her hair, while she frantically flipped through a Charms book, food all but forgotten next to her. Audrina grinned. She was back at school.

"Is Hagrid upset with you lot?" Ginny asked Ron, who glanced at her with a nod, then did a double take.

"He hasn't spoken to us yet, yeah, but why are you covered in mud?" He demanded.

"Because I'm his new helper since he doesn't like you three anymore." She said, reaching over and taking some potatoes.

"Sorry." Ron muttered, looking at the Head Table guilty. Ginny shrugged indifferently, smiling when Dean sat next to her with a quirked eyebrow. Audrina scooted over, annoyed.

"At least it's Friday night, yeah? Weekend's here." Dean said happily. No one answered him. Harry and Ron were leaning over Hermione's shoulder, trying to see what she was taking notes on.

Saturday morning dawned cold and rainy. Ginny and Audrina made their way down to breakfast, nervously munching on toast. It was Quidditch tryouts and though they had discussed at length that the amount of girls signing up to try was simply for a look at Harry, they were both set on making the team.

"Morning you two." Hermione said cheerfully, sitting down next to them with Harry and Ron behind her.

"Morning Hermione." They both chorused and continued their eating. Ron glanced up and saw Hagrid's ever empty chair and looked even more troubled than he had last night.

"We've got to go and explain," said Hermione, looking up and noticing where Ron was looking.

"We've got Quidditch tryouts this morning!" He protested. "And we're supposed to be practicing that Aguamenti Charm from Flitwick! Anyway, explain what? How are we going to tell him we hated his stupid subject?"

"We didn't hate it!" said Hermione.

"Speak for yourself, I haven't forgotten the skrewts," said Ron darkly. "And I'm telling you now, we've had a narrow escape. You didn't hear him going on about his gormless brother — we'd have been teaching Grawp how to tie his shoelaces if we'd stayed. Besides, he likes Ginny better now."

"I'd rather he like you than me. Those Crups were a pain all afternoon and I still have loads of homework to do." Ginny grumbled.

"I hate not talking to Hagrid," said Hermione, looking upset.

"We'll go down after Quidditch," Harry assured her. "But trials might take all morning, the number of people who have applied." Ginny and Audrina exchanged nervous looks. "I dunno why the team's this popular all of a sudden." He wondered aloud.

"Oh, come on, Harry," said Hermione, suddenly impatient. "It's not Quidditch that's popular, it's you! You've never been more interesting, and frankly, you've never been more fanciable." Ron gagged on a large piece of kipper. Ginny smacked his back firmly. Hermione spared him one look of disdain before turning back to Harry.

"What are you talking about, more fanciable?" Audrina demanded, curious as well.

"Everyone knows you've been telling the truth now, don't they? The whole Wizarding world has had to admit that you were right about Voldemort being back and that you really have fought him twice in the last two years and escaped both times. And now they're calling you 'the Chosen One' — well, come on, can't you see why people are fascinated by you?" Hermione pointed out. Harry went bright red.

"They've always found Harry fascinating." Ginny said, trying to sound dismissive but failing. Hermione shrugged, but continued on.

"And you've been through all that persecution from the Ministry when they were trying to make out you were unstable and a liar. You can still see the marks on the back of your hand where that evil woman made you write with your own blood, but you stuck to your story anyway..."

"You can still see where those brains got hold of me in the Ministry, look," said Ron, shaking back his sleeves.

"And it doesn't hurt that you've grown about a foot over the summer either," Hermione finished, ignoring Ron.

"I'm tall," said Ron inconsequentially. Audrina couldn't help but snort in amusement at his indignation.

The post owls arrived, swooping down through rain-flecked windows, scattering everyone with droplets of water. Hedwig landed in front of Harry carrying a large, square package. A moment later, an identical package landed in front of Ron, crushed beneath it was his minuscule and exhausted owl, Pigwidgeon. Lyra swooped in carrying Audrina's easily.

"Ha!" said Harry, unwrapping the parcel to reveal a new copy of Advanced Potion-Making, fresh from Flourish and Blotts.

"Oh good," said Hermione, delighted. "Now you can give that graffitied copy back."

"Are you mad?" Harry demanded incredulously. "I'm keeping it! Look, I've thought it out —"

He pulled the old copy of Advanced Potion-Making out of his bag and tapped the cover with his wand, muttering, "Diffindo!" The cover fell off. He did the same thing with the brand-new book (Hermione looked scandalized). He then swapped the covers, tapped each, and said, "Reparo!"

There sat the Prince's copy, disguised as a new book, and there sat the fresh copy from Flourish and Blotts, looking thoroughly secondhand.

"I'll give Slughorn back the new one, he can't complain, it cost nine Galleons." He said. Hermione looked to argue but didn't when she received the Daily Prophet. She unfolded it hastily and scanned the front page.

"Anyone we know dead?" asked Ron in a determinedly casual voice; he posed the same question every time Hermione opened her paper. Ginny and Audrina both sat up a little straighter.

"No, but there have been more dementor attacks," said Hermione. "And an arrest."

"Excellent, who?" said Harry. Audrina felt the familiar knot in her stomach grow and wondered what family member's name would come out of Hermione's mouth this time.

"Stan Shunpike," said Hermione.

"What?" said Harry, startled. Audrina couldn't help exhale a little.

"'Stanley Shunpike, conductor on the popular Wizarding conveyance the Knight Bus, has been arrested on suspicion of Death Eater activity. Mr. Shunpike, 21, was taken into custody late last night after a raid on his Clapham home'…" She read off.

"Stan Shunpike, a Death Eater?" said Harry. "No way!"

"He might have been put under the Imperius Curse," said Ron reasonably. "You never can tell."

"It doesn't look like it," said Hermione, who was still reading. "It says here he was arrested after he was overheard talking about the Death Eaters' secret plans in a pub." She looked up at them with a troubled expression on her face. "If he was under the Imperius Curse, he'd hardly stand around gossiping about their plans, would he?"

"It sounds like he was trying to make out he knew more than he did," said Ron. "Isn't he the one who claimed he was going to become Minister of Magic when he was trying to chat up those veela?"

"Everyone says stupid stuff around veela. You asked Fleur out." Ginny reminded Ron and he shoved her.

"Yeah, that's him," said Harry. "I dunno what they're playing at, taking Stan seriously."

"They probably want to look as though they're doing something," said Hermione, frowning. "People are terrified — you know the Patil twins' parents want them to go home? And Eloise Midgen has already been withdrawn. Her father picked her up last night."

"What!" said Ron, goggling at Hermione. "But Hogwarts is safer than their homes, bound to be! We've got Aurors, and all those extra protective spells, and we've got Dumbledore!"

"I don't think we've got him all the time," said Hermione very quietly, glancing toward the staff table over the top of the Prophet. "Haven't you noticed? His seat's been empty as often as Hagrid's this past week."

They all looked up at the staff table. The headmaster's chair was indeed empty and the tables seemed to hold fewer students than before.

"But he'll be back, won't he?" Audrina asked quietly and though Harry nodded he didn't look too convinced with himself.

"I think he's left the school to do something with the Order," said Hermione in a low voice. "I mean… It's all looking serious, isn't it?" None of them said anything but the morning had already been ruined.

The rest of breakfast was eaten in silence. They left for the pitch a couple minutes later, Ginny and Audrina a couple steps ahead of the other three. Automatically they looped arms and matched their steps.

"Nervous?" Ginny asked, as they passed Lavender Brown and a Patil twin Audrina couldn't tell apart. She shrugged, shaking her head as they stepped outside into the rain and hurried to change.

"I'm more nervous that if we make the team, people will say it's because we're Harry's friends." Audrina told her and Ginny grinned at her as she pulled off her outer layers and grabbed her Quidditch robes.

"At least no one can accuse me of buying my way onto the team like they can with you." Ginny teased, as her head popped back up. Audrina swung her robes at her as she laughed and ducked. When they exited onto the pitch, it was indeed filled with a rather large amount of prospective players.

"Is that McLaggen Harry's talking to?" Audrina asked, squinting through the slight drizzle.

"It is." Ginny confirmed with an eye roll.

"I don't like him." Audrina decided.

"Don't throw things at him then." Ginny said tiredly. Audrina grinned and kicked herself into the air instead of replying.

Harry decided to start with a basic test, asking all applicants for the team to divide into groups of ten and fly once around the pitch. Ginny and Audrina hustled away from the first years, finding Katie Bell and sticking together.

This was a good decision: the first ten was made up of first years, and it could not have been plainer that they had hardly ever flown before. Only one boy managed to remain airborne for more than a few seconds, and he was so surprised he promptly crashed into one of the goal posts.

The second group was comprised of ten of the silliest girls they had ever seen, who, when Harry blew his whistle, merely fell about giggling and clutching one another. Romilda Vane was amongst them. When he told them to leave the pitch, they did so quite cheerfully and went to sit in the stands to heckle everyone else, much to everyone's annoyance.

The third group had a pileup halfway around the pitch. Most of the fourth group had come without broomsticks. The fifth group was compromised of mostly Hufflepuffs.

"If there's anyone else here who's not from Gryffindor," roared Harry, who seemed to be seriously annoyed, "Leave now, please!" There was a pause then a couple of little Ravenclaws went sprinting off the pitch, snorting with laughter. Ginny and Audrina watched them go in amusement, more or less so laughing at Harry's agitation.

To their delight, their group was reasonable fliers and when Harry split them into two groups to start shooting against each other, Ginny and Audrina were placed on the same team as Katie and a fourth year named Demelza as well as another fourth year, Emil. They worked well together and allowed each other to score, grinning as they played.

"You two practiced this summer." Katie commented to them as they waited for Harry to finish yelling ferociously at one of the other Chasers for crashing headlong into Emil and knocking him out.

"We tried to at least." Ginny said, in between her bursts of laughter at Harry's red face.

"He'll probably pick you two honestly. The others are…" She trailed off as one of the third year boys from the other team nearly fell off his broom reaching for the Quaffle.

"Let's just hope no one dies on his watch." Audrina observe, ducking slightly as the third year shot towards them.

After a couple more drills, Harry called for them to land. The few of them that were left flying grouped themselves together. Harry landed in front of them and sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair.

"I've made up my mind. Katie, Ginny, and Audrina. Demelza, you're an alternate. Thanks." He said flatly and Ginny and Audrina grabbed hands, working hard to not scream in excitement. They quickly left the pitch as the others settled in to protest and whine.

"Good job!" Katie squealed, as they climbed up the stairs to the stands. Ginny and Audrina hugged tightly then turned to Demelza warily.

"I'll take your spot next year." She told Katie with a smile and shrug. Katie laughed and punched her shoulder.

"Welcome to the team." She said happily. They joined Hermione to watch the rest of tryouts. Harry did the Beaters next and picked Jimmy Peakes, a short but broad-chested third-year boy who had managed to raise a lump the size of an egg on the back of Harry's head with a ferociously hit Bludger, and Ritchie Coote, who looked weedy but aimed well.

The stands were filling with other interested students and Ginny and Audrina both noticed the strange shade of green Ron was turning and the strut that McLaggen had adopted as he pretended to preen his otherwise flawless broom. Audrina looked at Ginny, biting her lip.

"He never saved my shots this summer." Ginny whispered, as they walked back down onto the pitch to shoot on the prospective keepers.

"Don't go easy on him." Katie warned them, as she kicked off and got ready to shoot on a terrified second year.

None of the first five applicants saved more than two goals apiece. Ginny and Audrina both grimaced when Cormac McLaggen saved two shots of theirs each. On the last one, however, he shot off in completely the wrong direction from Katie's shot; the crowd laughed and booed and McLaggen returned to the ground grinding his teeth.

"Good luck!" cried a voice from the stands behind them as Ron mounted his broom. They all turned to look up at a bright pink Lavender Brown. Ginny raised an eyebrow then rolled her eyes.

Despite this summer Ron saved one, two, three, four, five penalties in a row from Ginny, Katie, Demelza and Audrina. They turned around to look at Harry in delight and saw McLaggen an inch from his face. Audrina hefted the Quaffle and Ginny didn't even make a move to stop her.

"His sister didn't really try," said McLaggen menacingly. There was a vein pulsing in his temple dangerously. "She gave him an easy save."

"Rubbish," said Harry coldly. "That was the one he nearly missed." This time Audrina held Ginny back. McLaggen took a step nearer Harry, who stood his ground despite the several inches McLaggen had on him.

"Give me another go."

"No," said Harry. "You've had your go. You saved four. Ron saved five. Ron's Keeper, he won it fair and square. Get out of my way." McLaggen stormed away, growling what sounded like threats to thin air.

"Good riddance." Katie muttered then grinned at them. Harry turned around to find them all beaming at him, Jimmy and Ritchie having joined them on the pitch.

"Well done," he croaked. "You flew really well —"

"You did brilliantly, Ron!" This time it really was Hermione running toward them from the stands. Ron looked extremely pleased with himself and even taller than usual as he grinned at them and at Hermione.

After fixing the time of their first full practice for the following Thursday, Harry, Ron, and Hermione bade good-bye to them and headed off toward Hagrid's. Ginny and Audrina went the opposite way, to where Fallon, Adam, and Jace were wandering down the hill from the castle.

"Did we miss it?" Fallon cried.

"Only by like four hours, Fal." Ginny said tiredly, inspecting a nasty bruise on her upper leg she had received when one of the novice third years had crashed into her because he had been distracted by people in the stands cheering. Audrina had almost fallen off her broom laughing.

"I was correcting his homework." She said darkly, smacking Jace's head. He ignored her and looked at them expectantly.

"So did you make it or not?" He demanded. Jace was a beater for the Ravenclaw team and had been since last year.

"Only if you promise not to take it easy on us during our first game." Audrina said cheerily and he grinned, smacking their backs.

"I'll only hit half my Bludgers towards you." He promised happily, leading them back into the castle to eat lunch. After lunch Audrina bade them a sad goodbye and headed to the dungeons to try to practice her potions. Though the potions classroom had always been a safe place for her, the absence of Snape had improved it massively.

 **AN:** Back to reality, which means back to homework and stress... But also back to updates! Hopefully that means back to reviews? You guys are awesome, thanks for reading!


	19. Chapter 19

"Audrina!" Slughorn boomed the second she walked in. She jumped, nearly dropping her books.

"Professor." She said in surprise. "I was just here because I felt like practicing- sorry, I can leave- if you want me to leave, I can." She said hastily, already inching towards the door.

"Wouldn't dream of it! Come, sit." He beckoned, gesturing to the foremost cauldron. Her heart sank but she did as told. "You can tell me about your family as you work." He said jovially.

"Sorry, sir, but I don't talk with them a whole lot. You understand why." She said tightly, gathering her supplies.

"Yes, yes, I've heard many times of your comparison to your cousin Sirius…"He mused and she opened her book and bent her head over, hoping he would shut up. He didn't. He continued rambling on about her extensive family tree, pointing out the 'stars' of her ancestors.

"Sir," She said from between clenched teeth as he wrapped up a particularly long-winded explanation of how one of her great-great-great-great-grandfathers was a major part of the Ministry banning muggles from knowing about wizardry. "If I could work in silence, that would be most appreciated." She wondered from the back of her mind if she could hex him and get away with it. She never thought she could hate another potions professor like Snape.

"Ah, of course!" He said, peering down at her. "I forget that most people like silence when they brew. Many great potion makers past liked solitude, though some of the best can make multiple potions at once. Perhaps we should try Mr. Potter on that next, there's potions talent if I ever saw it!"

She bit her lip to keep from commenting that he had pulled her into this class and just cut her leaves with more vengeance than she should have. She stifled a groan when the pieces were jagged and rough. She threw them in her cauldron with disgust. She couldn't make up her mind if Snape's barely hidden sneer was worse than Slughorn's blatant adoration of Harry.

When she arrived at the Great Hall for supper she was fuming. She sat down with a loud thud next to Millie, causing several other first years to scatter. She simply moved over and took her plate with her.

"Why are you in such a bad mood? I heard you make the Quidditch team. I thought you'd be happy." She commented as Audrina swore loudly when she nearly spilled the pumpkin juice she was pouring.

"I had to listen to Slughorn gush for three bloody hours about the great Harry Potter, potions master!" She ranted. Millie just kept her mouth shut carefully as Audrina stabbed her roast beef. When Harry entered she narrowed her eyes at him. Millie stifled giggles.

"Are you going to do other homework now?" Ginny asked when Audrina met her in the common room.

"No." She said flatly, flopping down on the floor. She had brought Arnold and Maya down to keep them company as they did homework with Demelza, who was surprisingly fun to be around. Maya bounced excitedly on her forehead and Audrina pushed her towards a delighted Demelza. "And if you say anything about Harry Potter, I'll murder you both." She threatened.

"She doesn't mean it. Mostly." Ginny reassured Demelza, who cuddled Maya protectively.

"Speaking of Harry though, I do have a message for him. Snape gave it to me." She said, getting up and crossing the room.

"I hope it's that Snape is going to kill him because if I go through another class period with Harry being praised as the next greatest potions maker of all time, I'll scream." Audrina groaned and Ginny put a pillow over her face and held it there for a long moment.

* * *

"Is she always like this?" Demelza asked, amused, as Ginny raced around practice with Ron's broom in her hand. He was running underneath her, shouting for her to give it back.

"Yeah." Audrina said proudly.

"Harry is going to be mad though, you know how he is about starting practice on time." Katie commented.

"Who says he has a broom?" Audrina asked, showing her the one she held.

"You didn't." Jimmy said, with big eyes. Harry came out, robes askew, glasses awry on his face.

"WHO HAS MY BROOM?" He bellowed and Audrina whooped, joining Ginny in hovering just above them both, dangling their feet and laughing while the rest of the team cheered them on. When they finally dropped them and they joined them in the air, Harry was muttering darkly, hair even messier than it usually was and cheeks red.

"Almost as bad as Fred and George, I swear." He proclaimed. Ginny and Audrina high fived and went about practice with Harry throwing them dirty looks, grinning at one another.

At the end of practice, Ron and Harry clung protectively to their brooms as Ginny and Audrina smiled angelically. As they went back to the castle a little first year stopped and looked at them, awed.

"You're Harry Potter!" She squeaked, craning her neck to look up at Harry. Harry looked uncomfortable, squirming awkwardly.

"Yes." Audrina said, smiling at her, stepping ahead of him. "And I'm his twin sister, Hannah." Her eyes went wider. "My scar's a cloud. You can't see it because it's on my shoulder." She informed her with a wink. Her jaw dropped then her brow wrinkled in confusion.

"Rin!" Harry sighed and dragged her away. "You know you're not allowed to tell everyone you're my twin sister. And that you have a cloud scar to prove it!" He said sternly as Ginny and Demelza giggled. She sighed.

"But it's just _so_ funny!" She whined. He rolled his eyes as Ritchie and Jimmy sniggered.

"Cheer up, it's Hogsmeade tomorrow!" Katie said, as they all made their way back to the common room.

"No practice then. Not that we got anything done today." He said darkly and Ginny and Audrina burst out in a fresh wave of laughter, leaning on each other for support as they went back to their room to finish homework. She looked at Ginny as they sat in their beds.

"I'm hurting for money." Audrina admitted. Ginny nodded.

"How are we gonna raise money?" She mused, flipping onto her back. Audrina glanced around then a slow smile lit her face. The school year had barely started and if that first year from after practice today was anything to go by, they were still in a tizzy about being in the same school as the famous Harry Potter. And her and Ginny just happened to have spent the entire summer with him. Ginny narrowed her eyes. "Can I have a clue at least?"

"Oh yeah. I reckon that the first years will be a little more than eager to get their hands on some of the stuff that Harry's touched, don't you?" Audrina pointed out and Ginny frowned.

"So what are we gonna do? Follow a few paces behind him, taking everything he touches?" She scoffed. Audrina remained silent, beamed. She paused, thinking. "Not bad, actually." She said thoughtfully, tossing her books aside. With that, they set off.

"I've got ten, ten sickles. Ten sickles for a used Harry Potter quill!" Audrina cried loudly. Ginny was standing on a table, arms full of random items. A first year raised his hand.

They had gathered a rather large group in the common room and to her amusement; it wasn't just first years that were interested. There were several girls from their year and younger clustered around.

"Going, going, gone!" Ginny announced, brandishing the quill. The first year grinned as she tossed the quill to him in exchange for the coins. He caught it and his fellow students clamored around him eagerly to look at the painfully ordinary, if not slightly worn quill.

"Just like you two." A disapproving voice chided them loudly. Audrina turned guilty to Hermione. She folded her arms.

"Alright." Audrina said, drooping and helping Ginny jump off the table. Hermione shooed all the students away from the table despite their protests, threatening detention.

"But I was going to bid my allowance on a lock of his hair." A fourth year said mournfully to her friends. They patted her shoulder consolingly. Hermione gapped at Ginny and Audrina as they stifled laughter.

"A lock of hair? Really?" She demanded.

"We'd acquire one sooner or later." Ginny said indifferently and Audrina mimed scissors. Hermione looked furious, eyes flashing. Ginny and Audrina grinned innocently.

"I'm reporting this to McGonagall." She said irately, storming out of the portrait hole.

"Go ahead, not like that's ever stopped us." Audrina taunted.

"And don't you dare touch a hair on Harry's head, he has it rough enough without you two harassing him!" She yelled over her shoulder. Ginny and Audrina both waited until she was out of the room then turned in unison and went chasing after the fourth year.

 **AN:** Sorry that my updates are sporadic, school is crazy. From now on they'll likely be Monday/Friday. Please leave reviews, thank you!


	20. Chapter 20

When the morning dawned Audrina made her way away from the common room and towards the Ravenclaw tower. There was no point in waiting for Ginny; she knew she would be going with Dean. Despite her protests that Audrina could hang out with Seamus, she went to look for Fallon, Adam, and Jace. At the tower, she waited for the riddle, looking at the knocker apprehensively.

"Feathers, I am as light, but quite heavy if squeezed tight. I'm seen as clean and pure, but soil quite easily. What am I?" It asked and she frowned, chewing on her lip.

"Snow?" She tried and the door swung open. She smiled and climbed through, taking a moment to enjoy the light airy space that was the Ravenclaw tower. She closed her eyes so she could turn her face up to the feeble light that was struggling to shine through the windows.

"Wishing you were a Ravenclaw, Audrina?" A light voice asked her and she opened her eyes to smile at Luna.

"Not with the amount of studying you all do. Plus, I've already worn McGonagall down enough that she just deals with my pranks by now." Audrina said and Luna smiled, shaking her head.

"Are you going to Hogsmeade?" She asked and Audrina nodded, casting a look around to try and spot Fallon.

"Yeah, but Ginny's going with Dean so I don't really have anyone." She explained and Luna nodded.

"She does quite like him, that Dean." Luna said thoughtfully and Audrina was saved from expressing her true opinion about him when Fallon ran up to her, eyes panicked.

"We can't go today." She said flatly. Audrina gapped at her. "We have a prefect meeting to discuss the fact that some first years are wetting their beds and I'm not sure Jace has anything to do with it but he probably does so I have to go to keep him out of it and Adam needs to study and Jace already went with some girl, I'm sorry, but we can't and I-" Audrina cut her off by raising a hand.

"Back to my common room, got it." She said tiredly and Fallon opened her mouth, most likely to say sorry, but Audrina felt a hand grab hers and Luna say lightly,

"I'll go with you Audrina. No one asked me to go either." She informed her. Audrina raised an eyebrow then shrugged and smiled.

"Sure Luna. Let's go to Hogsmeade." She agreed. She smiled her airy smile and they joined the crowd of students hurrying down the stairs. Audrina waited as she pulled on a stocking hat decorated with several oversized balls of yarn.

"They protect you from the lucecitas, little light fairies that will make you blind." She told her very seriously and Audrina tried to stifle her giggles as they blew ferociously in the wind. By the time they reached Hogsmeade, she had stopped laughing and was wishing she had a similar hat to keep her warm. They entered the Three Broomsticks, teeth chattering.

"Two butterbeers please." Audrina ordered, clapping her hands together to get the blood to flow. They sat down and sipped them gratefully. Audrina found Luna was fun to talk to sometimes. She was delightfully off kilter about most things and they were in the middle of a lengthy discussion about Astronomy when Ginny and Dean walked in, mushed together.

"You look sad." Luna commented, and Audrina looked at her, startled. Luna had been watching her as she watched them.

"I'm not." Audrina said quietly. She switched her gaze away from the couple to wave at Katie with a smile.

"Maybe we should go back." Luna suggested and Audrina sighed, nodding. "Do you want my hat?" She offered, holding it out to her. The sight of the balls bouncing made her smile.

"It looks better on you." Audrina promised her and they set off. She thought she saw Tonks as they made their way back to the castle but decided the cold wasn't worth a quick hello. She said her goodbyes to Luna and went back to the common room to study, taking advantage of the mostly empty common room to curl up near the fire with her books.

After awhile her stomach began to grumble and she made her way towards the kitchen slowly, thinking about Ginny and her relationships, wondering why she couldn't just go with Seamus like Ginny wanted.

"-I've got more important things to do than her stupid homework." She heard a familiar voice mutter and she leaned over the staircase, spotting Draco's blond head disappearing down the stairs towards the dungeon. She debated calling out but before she could make up her mind he was too far away.

When she returned to the common room, more students had returned, cold and wet. Ginny even made it back and detangled from Dean long enough to steal some of her snacks. By the time people started disappearing for bed she too was yawning. She started ambling towards her bed when she heard Harry's voice, quiet from behind a couch.

"I swear it was him. He did it to Katie." Harry said firmly. She paused, wondering what had happened to her.

"Harry, you heard McGonagall. Malfoy was in detention with her. Enough." Hermione said, exasperated. They started to get up and Audrina hurried ahead of Hermione, pretending she hadn't heard a thing.

The next morning she found out exactly what Harry thought Draco had done to Katie and it made her stomach turn. It was the talk of the school. Katie was in St. Mungo's and though the rumors ranged from the mundane, that she had caught a nasty bout of the flu, there were some that were wildly detailed, like the one that the stress of her final year caused her to jump off of a bridge in an attempt to leave school.

Hermione told her the true story when she dragged her aside after breakfast and demanded an explanation. She told her, somewhat scornfully, about how Harry thought Draco was involved. Audrina forced a laugh and hurried off to class. Harry announced it to the team at practice that afternoon and informed Demelza she would be playing after all.

"What are we going to do for Quidditch?" Ritchie muttered and Demelza gave his shoulder a solid whack.

"Care about Katie, not our matches." She scolded, but Audrina was with the Beater. She didn't want to think about Katie at St. Mungo's or the fact that Draco could be involved.

At one of their final practices she was glad Ginny and her had spent so much time with Demelza; though she wasn't Katie she was a solid player. Their problem was Ron. After letting in half a dozen goals, most of them scored by Ginny, his technique became wilder and wilder, until he finally punched an oncoming Demelza in the mouth.

"It was an accident, I'm sorry, Demelza, really sorry!" Ron shouted after her as she zigzagged back to the ground, dripping blood everywhere, eyes wide in shock. "I just —"

"Panicked," Ginny said angrily, landing next to Demelza and examining her fat lip. "You prat, Ron, look at the state of her!"

"I can fix that," said Harry, landing beside the two girls, pointing his wand at Demelza's mouth, and saying "Episkey."

"Better?" Audrina asked and she nodded, eyeing Ron warily.

"And Ginny, don't call Ron a prat, you're not the captain of this team —" Harry pointed out.

"Well, you seemed too busy to call him a prat and I thought someone should —" Ginny pointed out furiously.

"In the air, everyone, let's go…" Harry ordered. Practice was downhill from there. Audrina couldn't focus when her mind was on Draco, Demelza was leery of Ron, and Ginny was fuming at her brother.

"That was a disaster." Jimmy commented when they all landed. Harry chose to ignore him.

"Good work, everyone, I think we'll flatten Slytherin," he said bracingly, and Ginny and Audrina left rolling their eyes.

"If we get trampled by Slytherin I'll never live it down." Audrina said hollowly, thinking of her extended, mostly Slytherin family and their gloating faces. Worst of all would be the Malfoy's, all the sneers and smirks they'd throw her way if they got flattened. She didn't even want to think of what it would be like to play against Draco again, for the first time since she was a child.

"You're telling me. My older brother is coming to watch. He was a chaser for Hufflepuff. He was so excited when I told him I'm going to play and if we lose I'll break his heart." Demelza said sadly.

"It'll be fine you two." Ginny promised, as they pulled aside the tapestry to take the short cut to the common room. Demelza and Audrina both raised their eyebrows as Ginny hung back. She waved them along and then Audrina noticed Dean had entered the other side.

"Gross." Demelza muttered and Audrina snorted in agreement, hurrying away from the two. However, she was not spared her anger when she came storming into their room later, face so red she wondered if she was still breathing.

"PRAT! JUST BECAUSE HE HASN'T KISSED ANYONE AND WE ALL HAVE, WHAT RIGHT DOES THAT GIVE HIM TO TELL ME THAT I CAN'T KISS A BOY!" She roared and Audrina ducked behind her bed as sparks shot out of her wand unbidden.

"Ginny-" She tried to reason with her but her rage would not be tempered. More sparks shot out of her wand in her direction and she was again forced behind the bed for her safety.

"HE'S MY OLDER BROTHER AND AN ASS AT THAT! WHAT I WOULD DO TO HAVE FIVE MINUTES AND NO PUNISHMENT FROM MUM- I'D MAKE SURE HE'D NEVER OPEN HIS FAT MOUTH TO SAY A SINGLE WORD AGAIN I SWEAR TO MERLIN-" Audrina gave up trying to reason with her and reached for her book, resigned to study from behind her bed.

From what she understood of Ginny's furious rant, she and Dean had indeed been snogging in the secret corridor. It must not have been as secret as she thought because Ron and Harry had entered and found the couple. Ron had promptly yelled at Ginny, who responded in kind.

Moods were dark all around the next day. Ron was furious with Ginny and Dean alike as well as being snippy with Hermione. She begun to spend more time with Ginny and Audrina as a result, where they could both complain to a friendly ear about Ron's behavior.

Audrina ignored them and focused on the Quidditch match ahead. Slytherin meant Draco and that meant all the anxiety that came with seeing him. Practice did nothing to quell her nerves- Ron spent one whole practice yelling himself hoarse at them, to the point of making Demelza cry.

"You shut up and leave her alone!" shouted Jimmy, who was about two-thirds Ron's height, though admittedly carrying a heavy bat.

"ENOUGH!" bellowed Harry, who soared over to intervene before things got out of hand. "Peakes, go and pack up the Bludgers. Demelza, pull yourself together, you played really well today, Ron…" He trailed off and Ginny grabbed Demelza's wrist, pulling her along whilst casting a murderous look in her brother's direction.

"C'mon, he's nothing but a prat, trust me." She said darkly and Audrina followed. "I'll kill him." She said savagely.

"I've got an arsenal of test products from the twins we could try." Audrina offered and she looked thoughtfully.

"Remind me never to make you two angry." Demelza said with a weak smile, whipping leftover tears.

"Oh, you could never make us as angry as Ron." Audrina reassured her and Ginny nodded in agreement. As they ate and turned in early for bed, she crawled into Ginny's bed, pressing her back into hers like they were back in her bed at the Burrow.

"Not nervous." She said, an answer to Audrina's unasked question. She was silent, letting her breath guide her own into a slow, steady rhythm. Then quietly she spilled her deepest fear.

"Ginny, do you think Draco could be doing anything bad? Like Harry thinks he is?" She whispered. All she got for a response was a snore.

 **AN:** Please leave a review, tell me if you love it or hate it!


	21. Chapter 21

When they woke up, they dressed in silence, staying close to each other all the way to the Great Hall. Audrina saw Jace, Fallon, and Adam dressed in Gryffindor colors, beaming at them from their table. Millie grinned at her from where she was covered in red and gold. They sat next to Demelza, across from Harry and Ron. Harry was enthusiastically offering Ron drinks. Hermione joined them minutes later, looking at Ron warily.

"How are you both feeling?" she asked tentatively, her eyes on the back of Ron's head.

"Fine," said Harry, who was concentrating on handing Ron a glass of pumpkin juice. "There you go, Ron. Drink up." Ron had just raised the glass to his lips when Hermione spoke sharply.

"Don't drink that, Ron!" Both Harry and Ron looked up at her. Ginny glanced at her own pumpkin juice in alarm.

"Why not?" said Ron. Hermione was now staring at Harry as though she could not believe her eyes.

"You just put something in that drink."

"Excuse me?" said Harry.

"You heard me. I saw you. You just tipped something into Ron's drink. You've got the bottle in your hand right now!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Harry, putting his hand in his robe quickly.

"Ron, I'm warning you, don't drink it!" Hermione said again, alarmed, but Ron picked up the glass, drained it in one gulp, and said,

"Stop bossing me around, Hermione." He said without even looking at her. She hissed something to Harry then stormed up the table away from them. Harry didn't appear to be affected by it and smiled at Ron.

"She's crabby for a Quidditch meet." Demelza commented, who was in good spirits despite her pale color.

"Hermione hates Quidditch." Ginny informed her, putting aside her pumpkin juice and taking water instead.

"Nearly time." said Harry blithely. The frosty grass crunched underfoot as they strode down to the stadium ahead of the other students.

"Pretty lucky the weathers this good, eh?" Harry asked Ron.

"Yeah," said Ron, who was pale and sick-looking.

They changed in their robes quietly before joining the boys. Both the Beaters looked rather pale but were inspecting their bats quietly. Audrina tried to stop the nervous jangling of her leg.

"Conditions look ideal," said Ginny when they were all gathered in the team room, ignoring Ron. "And guess what? That Slytherin Chaser Vaisey — he took a Bludger in the head yesterday during their practice, and he's too sore to play! And even better than that — Malfoy's gone off sick too!"

"What?" said Harry, wheeling around to stare at her. Audrina stared up at her as well. "He's ill? What's wrong with him?"

"No idea, but it's great for us," said Ginny brightly. "They're playing Harper instead; he's in my year and he's an idiot." Audrina was familiar with Harper, they had been unfortunate enough to have Charms with him last year and his spells were more likely to go off target than they were to go on. On the bright side, her dodging skills had improved drastically.

Audrina adjusted her gloves, trying to keep her mind on the game while all she could wonder was why Draco wasn't playing. It wasn't like him. He had been the most competitive person when it came to Quidditch when they were children and now he was dropping out of the first match? Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she followed Ginny and Harry to the pitch.

They walked out onto the pitch to tumultuous roars and boos. One end of the stadium was solid red and gold; the other, a sea of green and silver. Many Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws had taken sides too: Amidst all the yelling and clapping she could distinctly hear the roar of Luna Lovegood's famous lion-topped hat.

When she looked up in the stands she wasn't surprised to see that her parents were not there. She spotted a man with Demelza's hair and smile, whooping her name and beaming. She smiled and kept scanning the crowd. No Draco meant no Malfoy parents.

"Captains shake hands," Madam Hooch said, and stepped up to the new Slytherin Captain, Urquhart, massive compared to Harry. "Mount your brooms. On the whistle... three... two... one..."

The whistle sounded, and they kicked off hard from the frozen ground, and off they went. Her nerves soared away as she moved to cover Ginny as Demelza streaked past them with the Quaffle. There was blissful silence for a second and then commentary started up.

"Well, there they go, and I think we're all surprised to see the team that Potter's put together this year. Many thought, given Ronald Weasley's patchy performance as Keeper last year, that he might be off the team, but of course, a close personal friendship with the Captain does help..."

These words were greeted with jeers and applause from the Slytherin end of the pitch. She recognized the voice as Zacharias Smith, a Hufflepuff player. She bent low to her broom and shot ahead of a Slytherin, trying to break up their passing as they headed towards Ron.

"Audrina Black attempts to get the Quaffle and is foiled, another close Potter friend, I'm sensing a pattern here… Oh, and here comes Slytherin's first attempt on goal, it's Urquhart streaking down the pitch and Weasley saves it, well, he's bound to get lucky sometimes, I suppose…" Ron tossed the Quaffle back to her with a shocked grin and she tried to give him a reassuring nod as she took off for the other end.

They played for half an hour, Ginny scoring four times and Demelza and Audrina both once. They were smaller than the Slytherin Chasers and took to weaving and darting between them. Smith had gotten tired of bashing Ron and had turned to their Beaters.

"Of course, Coote isn't really the usual build for a Beater," said Zacharias loftily, "they've generally got a bit more muscle—"

"Hit a Bludger at him!" Audrina heard Harry call to Jimmy as he zoomed past, but Jimmy, grinning broadly, chose to aim the next Bludger at Harper instead, who was just passing Harry in the opposite direction. She was pleased to hear the dull thunk that meant the Bludger had found its mark.

It seemed as though they could do no wrong. Again and again they scored, easily finding each other. And again and again, at the other end of the pitch, Ron saved goals with apparent ease.

He was actually smiling now, and when the crowd greeted a particularly good save with a rousing chorus of the old favorite "Weasley Is Our King," he pretended to conduct them from on high.

"Well, there's no doubt these years Chasers are decent, even if they are all girls. One could wonder though, two Weasleys on a team? Could he have stacked his team with friends rather than talent?" Smith was wondering aloud. Demelza rolled her eyes.

"You'd think the score would prove him wrong!" She yelled as Ginny and Audrina were tossing the Quaffle back and forth, trying to decide who should score when Smith's next words made them freeze.

"And I think Harper of Slytherin's seen the Snitch!" said Zacharias Smith through his megaphone. "Yes, he's certainly seen something Potter hasn't!"

Harry accelerated but they all knew the math. Gryffindor was only a hundred points up; if Harper got there first Gryffindor had lost. They watched in horror as Harper neared the Snitch, Harry a ways behind. Ginny hurled the Quaffle and scored once more, but it was pointless.

"Oi, Harper!" yelled Harry in desperation. "How much did Malfoy pay you to come on instead of him?" They saw Harper fumbled the Snitch, letting it slip through his fingers, and shooting right past it. Harry made a great swipe for the tiny, fluttering ball and caught it.

"WE WON!" Demelza bellowed next to Audrina, crashing into her and tossing her arms around her neck.

"YES!" Harry yelled. Wheeling around, he hurtled back toward the ground, the Snitch held high in his hand. As the crowd realized what had happened, a great shout went up that almost drowned the sound of the whistle that signaled the end of the game. Demelza and Audrina shot towards Harry, cheering. Ginny went to opposite way.

"Ginny!" Demelza and Audrina yelled in unison.

"Ginny, where're you going?" yelled Harry, who was trapped in the midst of a mass midair hug with all of them, a tangled mess of limbs and brooms, but Ginny sped right on past them until, with an almighty crash, she collided with the commentators podium.

As the crowd shrieked and laughed, they landed beside the wreckage of wood under which Zacharias was feebly stirring, and heard Ginny saying blithely to an irate Professor McGonagall,

"Forgot to brake, Professor, sorry."

Laughing, Harry broke free of the rest of the team and hugged Ginny, but let go very quickly. Audrina dove and hugged her tightly and Demelza joined. They joined the tangle of their team, cheering their way back to the changing room. The atmosphere was jubilant.

"Party up in the common room, Dean said!" yelled Ginny exuberantly. "C'mon, Rin, Demelza!" Audrina lagged behind them, letting them get carried up in the wave of students. She broke of in the entrance hall, ducking behind a tapestry and waiting for the majority of students to pass. Then she went down the staircases, intent on finding Draco.

She knew that the party would rage in the common room for hours. They usually did when they beat Slytherin. No one would notice her not being there for an hour or so, not with the chaos that would be going on. She wanted to find him, to ask him why he hadn't played. She was desperate to reassure herself that everything was all right with him.

Oddly, she didn't have to search long. Her knowledge of the castle from Fred and George let her get herself to the dungeons quickly without encountering any of the angry Slytherin fans. She found him in the potions classroom, staring at an empty cauldron pensively. She entered slowly.

"Stealth never was your strong suit." He commented without looking up. She raised an eyebrow.

"Skipping a match against Gryffindor goes against your entire nature." She commented and then before she could help myself, continued with, "And if you had played, maybe your house would've won."

"I'm a big boy now Audrina. I don't have time to play around in a stupid game on broomsticks." He said tightly, still refusing to look up from the cauldron, and she laughed, rolling her eyes.

"A big boy? You're a big boy? One that whines about doing homework and gets detention? Sounds like me as a third year. And even then at least I got detention for worthwhile things." She scoffed. He spun, rage flaring up in his eyes. She took a step back.

"You don't know anything. Nothing that I have to go through. Nothing, you hear me? NOTHING." He thundered and she stared at him in shock. "Go run along to your cozy common room and be with your little family you have there, Audrina. Not like you care for anything left here." He said the last part with a sneer and her heart sunk.

"Draco…" She said quietly and he stared at her. She noticed his disheveled hair, sallow skin, and deep dark bags under his eyes. His suit no longer clung to the slim angles of his body but hung on him. "I care about you." She went to put a hand on his cheek but he slapped her hand away, looking away with his jaw clenched. She looked at her hand in disbelief then spun on her heel and hurried back to the light of the common room.

She managed to stay in the common room for as long as she could, accepting the pats on the backs and excited whoops as best she could. She watched with a small smile as Ginny and Dean spent the entire evening glued to each other's sides and as the stammering third year she recalled from tryouts attempted to compliment Demelza. Then someone tapped her on the shoulder and handed her a butterbeer. She looked up in surprise at Seamus.

"Hell of a game today. You're a bloody good Chaser." He complimented her and she smiled despite herself.

"Thanks, but I'm no Ginny." She said and he grinned.

"That's why I can compliment you." He said with a wink and disappeared. She watched him go in surprise then shrugged and took a long drink from her butterbeer.

The party didn't wind down; rather it ramped up as more students brought in treats and food. Eventually she snuck upstairs and sank into her bed, happy to be away from the noise. She pulled her covers up around her waist and reached for her diary.

 _Dear Dairy,_

 _Why is it that some victories don't feel like you've won them at all? I know I should be sitting down in that common room, drinking what Seamus claims is Firewhiskey but is just butterbeer, dancing with the seventh year boys because they're funny and it can't be anything serious. And yet here I am in my bed, curled up into a little ball. I hate him for it. I hate that I don't even have to say his name to force my heart into skipping a beat. I hate that one man has the ability to make something that I should be so proud of feel like nothing. I have imagined what it would be like to be on the team that beat Slytherin since I was a first year. Here I am. I did it. They chanted my name. I got to fly around the pitch afterwards and watch as all the Slytherins had to walk out, all sulking. But how can I be happy about this when I know something has to be deeply, deeply wrong with Draco for him to give up playing seeker? Missing a game is not like him. He would never miss a chance to beat us. Plus he's given up rights to be a prefect and for Draco to resign any position of power is a cause for concern. The worst part is that I can't do anything to reach him. It's not for lack of trying. But he slapped me away. Literally. I try to tell him I care and I think he's knows I do. He just doesn't care. Why should he? He's got his two goons to watch out for him. He's got Pansy to be his woman. And I hate myself for wanting desperately to be the person that he confides in. I want him to pick me up after games and spin me around, to be proud of me, to look my way and smile during class. It's something that I shouldn't ask for. I have no right. To have that with him would mean risking everything within my house. It makes me so angry that I spend time thinking about him. I lose sleep over him. I daydream about him. I dream of him. And I know I still will, even if he slapped me away._

 _-_ _Audrina Carona Black_

She set her diary aside and pulled the blankets up so they were crumpled around her neck. She drew her knees in and squeezed her eyes shut tightly, hoping that the excitement of the day would mean sleep would take her quickly. Instead she was awake until Ginny entered the room, giggling about Dean, and long after she was snoring lightly in her own bed.

 **AN:** Please let me know what you think!


	22. Chapter 22

Her week did not improve from there. Potions class with Draco was strained, to say the least. He did everything possible to ignore her and avoid eye contact with her. After their kiss in the common room after the match, Ron was too distracted with Lavender to notice anything. Hermione was too upset with Ron to say anything and Harry was so desperate to make peace between the two that they all effectively ignored her during class as well.

Hermione was spending more time with her as a result of her falling out with Ron and it was helpful to have her keen eye looking over papers when Ginny went off with Dean but she felt a deep restlessness inside her. Jace recognized it one morning as she ate with him and Adam.

"You need a prank to cheer you up." He decided after watching her push her food around listlessly for an hour and she made a face in response.

"I'm too busy with homework." She complained and he gave a bark of laughter, as though she was tremendously funny.

"Oh Rin…" He said, pulling her into a hug. She noticed the narrowed eyes of the girls around her and looked up at him.

"Are you single again?" She asked and he ignored the question, casting an eye around the hall. Adam nodded for him.

"Do you think that the portraits can come off the walls?" He asked thoughtfully. She stared up at him in shock and hope and he stared down at her, the calm before the storm.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Adam said hastily but they had already taken off, lying in wait until everyone was in classes to rearrange the portraits, sprinting down the hallway, levitating paintings this way and that while their occupants shrieked to put them back.

When several paintings had been rearranged in one hallway they would move to the next, covering the majority of the second, third, fourth, and fifth floors before class let out. She was breathless with laughter for the first time since summer when Jace dragged her aside as classes were released.

Concealing themselves in an alcove, they stifled giggles as students walked out of classrooms only to be confused at the unfamiliar paintings that were shouting different directions at them. They joined the fray, pretending to be just as confused. Over the din she heard Professor McGonagall trying in vain to direct a large knot of worried first years, who now seemed to think the paintings could walk.

"Jace!" She heard Fallon's shriek and he roared with laughter, ducking down a hallway.

"That's my cue to run!" He called, as she pushed her way through the confused students looking for the Charms corridor, now furious.

"Audrina!" Fallon yelled and she hustled away as well, making her way to arrive at her History of Magic class with ease. Her classmates trickled in a couple of a time, trying to argue with Binns about why they were all late. She noted with amusement it was proving difficult to argue with a ghost when Ginny arrived, her cheeks a shade brighter than her hair.

She bypassed Binns and the other students with hardly a glance, approaching Audrina with an annoyed look. She beamed up at her as she glared down, hands on her hips, uncannily like her mother.

"Are you even going to deny it?" She demanded and Audrina shrugged, batting her eyes innocently.

"Nothing to admit nor deny, my Ginny dear." She said sweetly and she sat down with a huff.

"Next time you do it, warn me. I ended up in the Astronomy tower." She grumbled.

"If you can be torn away from Dean long enough to pay attention." Audrina muttered under her breath and was saved a retort when Binns looked up at them and squinted in Ginny's direction.

"And Georgia, when did you get here?" He said waspishly.

"Been here this whole time, sir." Ginny said, without raising her head from her arms.

During Transfiguration, McGonagall eyed Audrina suspiciously but she must not have had proof because she let her out of class with everyone else. By the time lunch rolled around, she was in a significantly better mood. She had spent all of History of Magic composing a letter to the twins with full details of the prank and its success.

"Audrina." Fallon greeted her crankily. Adam allowed her an amused smile and Jace was beaming.

"Success." Audrina agreed with his smiling face, sitting down.

"What should we do next?" Jace asked, shoveling food in his mouth. She paused, deliberating.

"I'm thinking that the student body hasn't really been given a nice, big shock yet. Give me an hour." She informed him. She had forgotten the immense joy that came with pulling off a prank, the warm bubbling in her stomach that constantly threatened to become giggles. She had forgotten the blissful glee of not worrying about a single thing, just when she was going to get caught. She had forgotten happiness.

"I'll warn Madam Pomfrey." Ginny said, getting up with a sigh.

"I'll get the first years out of the way." Fallon said tiredly, following her. Audrina looked at Adam, who only shrugged.

"Are we that bad?" She asked indignantly.

"Yes. I missed all of my Arithmancy class." He said flatly.

"A right shame, that is." Jace said sarcastically.

"Fallon doesn't like slugs." He said, getting up and leaving without another word. Jace looked at her and they wordlessly split up in opposite directions, him towards the storeroom, and her towards her lock picking kit.

"Ms. Black!" Came a loud voice and she froze, halfway up the stairs. She turned around to see a confused looking Professor Sinistra. "Could you please direct me to the staffroom, I seem to be unable to find it…" She trailed off, looking around in bewilderment.

"Right that way, ma'am!" She called, pointing over her shoulder as she sprinted up the stairs. As she ran for the common room, she spotted Millie.

"You are the worst." She complained, trying to pry open a portrait that had once housed the passage to the fifth floor classrooms. Audrina grinned at the fact that the little first year knew without a doubt Audrina had been the one to move the paintings.

"It's the lady in the red dress!" Audrina hollered and she groaned, going down the hallway. Audrina retrieved her lock pick and threw it at Jace as she sprinted to be on time to her potions class. She skidded into her spot, winded.

"See, I told you it wasn't her, she got just as lost as the rest of us." Ernie was commenting to Boot.

"That's the attitude." She panted, gasping for breath with her head between her knees.

"Was it you?" Hermione hissed but she just kept trying to steady her racing heart as Slughorn entered and began lecturing them. She sat up to notice that Draco was eyeing her but looked away instantly. She squirmed through potions but thankfully the anticipation of the prank to come kept her mind off of Slughorn's blatant favoritism of Harry.

Back in the common room, everyone was buzzing with comments about the prank- the older students thought it was a riot and an excuse to be late, the younger students thought it was cruel when they were just now figuring out the castle.

"You've got until supper before McGonagall swoops down with detention." Ginny wagered while Seamus and Dean patted Audrina's back while recounting, with several snorts, that they had seen the Slytherin Seeker Harper yelling at a painting that wouldn't open.

"I'm surprised she hasn't already." She admitted.

"I thought Fallon was going to strangle Jace at lunch." Ginny said with a quirk in her smile.

"That's going to happen one day with or without my involvement." Audrina said dismissively, fairly certain that after supper Fallon would strangle Jace for what he was about to do.

She tried to do her homework but her hand kept twitching and causing marks over her papers. She gave up entirely and spent the rest of the time before supper anxiously throwing things into the fire. As they all trickled down to the Great Hall and sat, she noticed McGonagall was coming for the Head Table towards her with a grim smile.

"Ms. Black, your detention. You've caused Mr. Filch a sizeable amount of grief putting the paintings back to their proper places." She informed her as Audrina smiled up at her.

"How did you know it was me?" She asked curiously, glancing over the slip flippantly.

"One of the paintings described you at length. It was more of a confirmation at that point." She said sternly and Audrina tried to arrange her smile into a more apologetic look.

"Sorry professor. Won't happen again." She said with as much sincerity as she could muster. McGonagall narrowed her eyes.

"It surely won't. We're affixing Permanent Sticking Charms to all vital portraits." She informed her and Audrina nodded, impressed they had warranted this amount of action.

"I'll make a note to tell Fred and George." She said offhandedly and McGonagall just sighed, going back to the front of the hall. After supper, as the majority of people rose, Audrina tugged on Ginny's sleeve.

"What?" She asked and she gestured for her to grab Millie. She did and Millie looked at her in confusion.

"What are you doing?" She demanded.

"I don't want you," Audrina pointed to Ginny, "to kill me in my sleep, and I want you," she pointed to Millie, "to learn something." Ginny looked at the doors apprehensively.

"Never a dull moment." Millie muttered.

"Eat dessert so they don't get suspicious." Audrina ordered them.

"They're already suspicious." Ginny scoffed but put a scoop of pudding on her plate nonetheless, taking a bite and watching in anticipation. Screams rang through the halls and all the teachers looked up in panic. A few students ran back in, covered in slugs and slime from head to toe. When she looked though the doors, she saw even more.

"Gross." Millie said with a disgusted look. Jace just emerged from the doors, slug free and grinning. McGonagall was striding down towards them, red in the face, shaking her finger.

"Double that!" She ordered, gesturing to the detention slip. "Two pranks in one day, that is unheard of! Your detention is effective immediately and ten points from Gryffindor!" Shaking her head and muttering about 'slugs' and 'unbelievable', she headed off.

"I need to rethink my tactics." Audrina said sadly, thinking about the points she had lost. Dumbledore chuckled behind them, startling her.

"No, I think you're doing just fine." He said, with a kind smile over his glasses at the three of them.

"Good enough for me." She said with a shrug, exiting the Great Hall and carefully sidestepping the mess on the floor. Filch was roaring and they avoided him carefully. The reaction when she entered the common room was mixed- Romilda Vane, Lavender Brown, and several other girls gave her looks that could kill, but the boys greeted ger with laughter and more stories about the look on Blaise Zabini's face when a slug hit him full on in the mouth.

She held off on anymore pranks- Jace and her had earned a month and a half of detentions both, enough to last until Christmas break. There were a variety of tasks and she half wondered what Filch was doing now that he had two students doing his job every night. McGonagall was only kind enough to allow her to do her detentions after practice, though she had fallen asleep cleaning out broom closets more times than she could remember.

 **AN:** A couple pranks to lighten the mood! Please let me know what you think.


	23. Chapter 23

The cold drew around campus deeper than ever and more time was spent huddled with Hermione in the library, the one condition if they wanted her to help with their homework. Ginny preferred the common room with Dean, so Audrina wound up hauling books for Hermione. She couldn't complain; it was better than watching Ron and Lavender.

The only upside to all her detentions meant she had an excuse to miss Slughorn's meetings. Her streak ended when Ginny told her that he was throwing a Christmas party and they were both invited. When the news broke of Harry taking Luna to Slughorn's party, Ginny's reaction was decidedly cheerful, which surprised Audrina.

"What are you smiling about?" Audrina asked as Ginny climbed into bed one night with a dreamy smile.

"The rage on Romilda Vane's face when she found out Harry is taking Luna is enough to make me happy for five lifetimes." She said joyfully and Audrina had to stifle her giggles or risk waking Hermione.

She wasn't upset about Slughorn's party until Ginny informed her that they would be required to bring dates and she was taking Dean, effectively leaving her stranded by herself.

"Well who in the bloody hell am I going to bring if I'm not going with you?" Audrina asked her indignantly as Ginny tossed her legs over Dean's lap and flipped open her Charms book.

"Just ask some guy, Rin. You'll survive. Ask Jace or Adam." She said dismissively. She gapped at her.

"Jace has even more detention than I do. And Adam's a stick in the mud. He'll be too busy studying." She reminded her, getting annoyed that she was once again picking Dean over her.

"Well you'll figure it out sometime Rin, okay?" She said without looking at her. She narrowed her eyes and made sure to step on the red hair when she walked by so Ginny knew she was angry.

"Disgusting, ain't it?" A friendly voice asked her and she glanced behind her to notice Seamus sitting alone at a table. He jerked his head in Ginny and Dean's direction. "Haven't had a proper day with Dean in ages cause it seems like he's always with her."

"I'm not sure what's worse, having her be gone all the time or trying to hang out with both of them." She said with a small laugh. He grinned and patted the chair next to him.

"C'mon, you can be my replacement Dean." He offered and she sat down, moving aside his books.

"Do I have to act like him?" She asked him and Seamus nodded very seriously. She gave it a thought for a second then twisted her face into her best 'excited' expression. "Seamus, did you know that the Firebolt has automatic breaking capacity and perfectly calibrated reversing features and it's completely hex-proof, you-know-who himself couldn't jinx that thing!" She rattled off and Seamus roared with laughter.

"Perfect, perfect." He said, clapping her shoulder. "Spot on."

"Thanks, I work on it when Ginny isn't around." She said cheekily and he laughed even harder.

"I reckon she ain't too fond of it." He said and she shook her head, grinning despite herself.

"No, she's usually a little more "Have you seen his smile, how it gets all soft and then big when he thinks something is funny? Isn't it so cute?"" She mimicked and he pretended to throw up.

"It's not as bad as when Dean goes, "And her hair, it's so soft and I could let it fall through my fingers all day every day, and it's so red, I could just sit and play with it for the rest of my life." It's enough to make me barf." He said, making a disgusted face and she laughed at the surprising accuracy of which they knew their best friends.

"It's a hard life when your best friend falls in love." she said with a sigh and he shrugged.

"More time to get in trouble in your case." He remarked and she grinned at him in surprise.

"Which did you like better, slugs or the portraits?" She asked and he mulled it over briefly before deciding on,

"Slugs. Took Neville nearly a week to get the slime out of his hair." He recalled fondly.

"Poor Neville." She said, without a bit of regret.

"Whatca got planned next?" He asked her curiously, leaning towards her and she shrugged.

"Nothing. I figured I'd wait until I got through this batch of detentions to risk making McGonagall mad again but I have to go to that stupid Slug Club party so more detention might be worth it." She grumbled.

"Why don't you want to go?" Seamus asked with a raised eyebrow and she made a face.

"I need a date and I don't have one. Plus Slughorn is more obnoxious than Lockhart." She complained.

"That bad, eh?" Seamus asked with surprise.

"You have no idea." She said, putting her head down on the table with a long-suffering sigh. Then she sat up straight, an impulsive decision already made in her mind. "Why don't you come to the party with me?" She asked, before she could stop herself.

"As your date?" He asked skeptically.

"You don't have to be my date, I just thought that since Dean and Ginny are going together, you don't have to, never mind." She tried to backtrack frantically, cursing herself mentally.

"Nah, I'd love to." He said with a wave and she stared at him.

"Really?"

"Yeah, it'll be fun. Maybe he'll serve Firewhiskey." He said calmly, glancing through his homework.

"Well, I'll see you then." She said, stunned. He grinned at her and she got up, trying not to sprint back to her room. When Ginny entered an hour later she found Audrina lying on her bed, unable to move.

"What's your deal?" She demanded, likely still crabby with her for stepping on her hair.

"I asked Seamus to the party with me." Audrina said numbly and all her anger evaporated. She leapt on top of her in disbelief.

"Did he say yes?" She questioned Audrina, shaking her violently so that her head hit her bed.

"Stop shaking me!" Audrina yelled and she obliged. "And yes, he did." She confirmed and she squealed.

"You can go with Dean and I!" She said happily, clapping her hands. "We can get ready together with Hermione and you can finally wear that nice dress you bought at Diagon Alley last time, and-" As she rambled on Audrina got a sinking feeling in her stomach of what she had just agreed to.

* * *

When the time to get ready finally dawned, Audrina did indeed regret her decision to go to the party. She even spotted McGonagall at dinner and half debated asking her for more detentions but Ginny's happiness about dressing up filled her with guilt at ruining it for her.

They got ready with Hermione, who was going with Cormac McLaggen. She too didn't seem to be thrilled with the idea but nonetheless applied make-up with Ginny and Audrina then got dressed.

Ginny was wearing one of Audrina's older dresses, a long black gown with delicate gold embroidery. Ginny insisted Audrina wear her newest dress, a floor length, light blue dress with silver sparkles. She had bought it for Bill and Fleur's wedding but there was no telling Ginny no.

A little before eight they made their way to the common room to meet Seamus and Dean. Dean instantly kissed Ginny and showered her with compliments. Audrina looked at Seamus warily, panicked that he would do the same but he just mimed hanging himself and she burst into laughter.

"You do look nice though." He said with a grin, offering her his arm. She took it with a smile.

"You do too. I don't think I've ever seen you without burn marks on your robes." She teased and immediately clamped her mouth shut, wondering if she had offended him.

"The night hasn't even started yet. We'll see." He said with a mischievous grin and she suddenly felt totally comfortable with him. They followed Ginny and Dean to the dungeons and into Slughorn's room.

Whether it had been built that way, or because he had used magical trickery to make it so, Slughorn's office was much larger than the usual teacher's study. The ceiling and walls had been draped with emerald, crimson, and gold hangings, so that it looked as though they were all inside a vast tent. The room was crowded and stuffy and bathed in the red light cast by an ornate golden lamp dangling from the center of the ceiling in which real fairies were fluttering, each a brilliant speck of light.

Loud singing accompanied by what sounded like mandolins issued from a distant corner; a haze of pipe smoke hung over several elderly warlocks deep in conversation, and a number of house-elves were negotiating their way squeakily through the forest of knees, obscured by the heavy silver platters of food they were bearing, so that they looked like little roving tables.

"Oh, this is going to be fun." Audrina muttered under her breath and Seamus gave her arm a reassuring little squeeze. Indeed it was as bad as she had predicted- once Slughorn had spotted them, he had to interrogate Seamus vigorously about his family history then insisted on pointing out several of her distant family members, none who she cared about.

"You weren't kidding. He is as bad as Lockhart." Seamus said, once they had escaped and dove for an alcove.

"I'm sorry I brought you. And there isn't even firewhiskey." She apologized. He grinned, patting her shoulder.

"You kidding me? This is the most fun I've had all year. C'mon, let's go out there and try to decide who Slughorn's sucking up to the most." He suggested and she grinned, taking his hand and letting him drag her back into the party. They found a raised stage and clambered onto it.

From their slightly higher vantage point, they had the ability to see all the guest and better point out the interesting, strange, and just plain odd. Their favorite game to play was spotting Hermione as she darted and weaved through the crowd, trying desperately to avoid McLaggen.

Ginny and Dean found them awhile later and stared up at them disapprovingly. Seamus and Audrina beamed down at them. They had managed to smuggle some rum away from the warlocks in the corner and were leaning against each other for support, giggling. Her altered state was allowing her to enjoy the close contact with a male without overthinking it. She was purposely avoiding thinking about how nice it was to have someone to laugh with.

"Well, you did say he'd have set things on fire by now, so at least we have that." Ginny commented dryly to Dean.

"Get down." Dean ordered. He had none of Ginny's amused disapproval but rather annoyance.

"Go snog Ginny in a broom cupboard mate." Seamus retorted and he and Audrina both snorted with laughter.

"Seamus." Dean said sternly. Ginny sighed and reached up, yanking Audrina down off the stage.

"C'mon, you're drunk. We're going back to our room." She said flatly, dragging her by the wrist.

"I'm not drunk, you're just crabby." Audrina protested.

"I will kill you here and now." Ginny promised, low enough no one else could hear. Audrina shut her mouth and let Ginny pull her through the party. Ginny paused to talk to Luna and Audrina saw very clearly, even through the haze that was the rum that Draco Malfoy was being pulled towards Slughorn, who was speaking with Harry and Snape.

"Professor Slughorn," wheezed Filch, his jowls aquiver and the maniacal light of mischief-detection in his bulging eyes, "I discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claims to have been invited to your party and to have been delayed in setting out. Did you issue him with an invitation?" Draco pulled himself free of Filch's grip, looking furious.

"All right, I wasn't invited!" he said angrily. "I was trying to gate crash, happy?" He demanded.

"No, I'm not!" said Filch, a statement at complete odds with the glee on his face. "You're in trouble, you are! Didn't the headmaster say that nighttime prowling is out, unless you've got permission, didn't he, eh?"

"That's all right, Argus, that's all right," said Slughorn, waving his hand. "It's Christmas, and it's not a crime to want to come to a party. Just this once, we'll forget any punishment; you may stay, Draco." Draco had composed his face into a smile and was thanking Slughorn for his generosity.

"Thank you sir, it's very generous for you to let someone like me attend your party." He said and Audrina tried to suppress a snort of disbelief that Draco was groveling at a teacher's feet.

"It's nothing, nothing," said Slughorn, waving away his thanks. "I did know your grandfather, after all..."

"He always spoke very highly of you, sir," said Draco quickly. "Said you were the best potion-maker he'd ever known..." Ginny gently touched her arm but Audrina hardly took notice. She was too busy looking at Draco in horror. He was even paler and skinner than before. His hair looked unkempt and the bags under his eyes were more pronounced.

It was as if someone had thrown a very icy bucket of water over her and the effects of the rum had vanished. She felt very, very cold despite all the warmth around her and pit of unease was growing in her stomach. She was vaguely aware of the party around her but she couldn't take her eyes off of Draco as she wondered why he looked so ill, so worn.

"I'd like a word with you, Draco," said Snape suddenly.

"Now, Severus," said Slughorn, hiccupping again, "its Christmas, don't be too hard—"

"I am his Head of House, and I shall decide how hard, or other wise, to be," said Snape curtly. "Follow me, Draco." They left, Snape leading the way, Draco looking resentful.

She noticed Harry hurrying away and pulled Ginny's grip from hers, chasing after him. He was halfway down the corridor when she caught up. He had just pulled the Invisibility Cloak out of his pocket and thrown it over himself when she grabbed the back and pulled it off.

"Audrina!" He said in shock.

"I won't tell if you take me with you." She bargained and he hesitated, thinking it over. "Enough Potter, we're missing whatever they're saying." She said, pulling the cloak around both of them.

They ran down the corridor, the noise of their feet masked by the music and loud talk still issuing from Slughorn's office behind him. Harry pressed his ear against door after door as they dashed down the corridor until they heard voices in the last classroom and leaned against it to hear them.

 **AN:** Tell me what you think?


	24. Chapter 24

"...cannot afford mistakes, Draco, because if you are expelled —"

"I didn't have anything to do with it, all right?"

"I hope you are telling the truth, because it was both clumsy and foolish. Already you are suspected of having a hand in it."

"Who suspects me?" said Draco angrily. "For the last time, I didn't do it, okay? That Bell girl must've had an enemy no one knows about — don't look at me like that! I know what you're doing, I'm not stupid, but it won't work — I can stop you!"

There was a pause and then Snape said quietly, "Ah... Aunt Bellatrix has been teaching you Occlumency, I see. What thoughts are you trying to conceal from your master, Draco?"

"I'm not trying to conceal anything from him, I just don't want you butting in!" She heard Draco say heatedly. She tried not to show Harry that her breathing had turned very shallow, very quickly. She had no doubt of the master to whom Snape was referring. The pit in her stomach doubled in size at the mention of Bellatrix teaching Draco anything.

"So that is why you have been avoiding me this term? You have feared my interference? You realize that, had anybody else failed to come to my office when I had told them repeatedly to be there, Draco —"

"So put me in detention! Report me to Dumbledore!" He jeered. There was another pause. Then Snape said,

"You know perfectly well that I do not wish to do either of those things."

"You'd better stop telling me to come to your office then!"

"Listen to me," said Snape, his voice so low now that she was struggling to hear. "I am trying to help you. I swore to your mother I would protect you. I made the Unbreakable Vow, Draco —"

Her stomach dropped out completely as she got a flash of Snape in the Malfoy's drawing room, clasping Narcissa's hands, promising to protect Draco. What could be threatening him to make Snape promise in such a strong and permanent way?

"Looks like you'll have to break it, then, because I don't need your protection! It's my job, he gave it to me and I'm doing it, I've got a plan and it's going to work, it's just taking a bit longer than I thought it would!"

"What is your plan?"

"It's none of your business!"

" If you tell me what you are trying to do, I can assist you..."

"I have all the assistance I need, thanks, I'm not alone!"

"You were certainly alone tonight, which was foolish in the extreme, wandering the corridors without lookouts or backup, these are elementary mistakes —" Snape pointed out with a sneer.

"I would've had Crabbe and Goyle with me if you hadn't put them in detention!" Draco retorted snidely.

"Keep your voice down!" spat Snape, for Draco' s voice had risen excitedly. "If your friends Crabbe and Goyle intend to pass their Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL this time around, they will need to work a little harder than they are doing at present —"

"What does it matter?" Draco cut him off harshly. "Defense Against the Dark Arts — its all just a joke, isn't it, an act? Like any of us need protecting against the Dark Arts —"

"It is an act that is crucial to success, Draco!" said Snape. "Where do you think I would have been all these years, if I had not known how to act? Now listen to me! You are being incautious, wandering around at night, getting yourself caught, and if you are placing your reliance in assistants like Crabbe and Goyle —"

"They're not the only ones, I've got other people on my side, better people!" Draco insisted.

"Then why not confide in me, and I can —"

"I know what you're up to! You want to steal my glory!" There was another pause then Snape said coldly,

"You are speaking like a child. I quite understand that your father's capture and imprisonment has upset you, but —"

They had barely a second's warning; they heard Draco's footsteps on the other side of the door and flung themselves out of the way just as it burst open. Draco was striding away down the corridor, past the open door of Slughorn's office, around the distant corner, and out of sight. Harry and Audrina remained crouched down as Snape emerged slowly from the classroom. His expression unfathomable, he returned to the party.

They sat on the corridor floor for a long moment then he looked at her hesitantly. She bowed my head, taking a minute to pinch the bridge of her nose as a mantra her mother had taught her ran through her head, purposely blocking all her other thoughts out.

 _No time for tears. No time for tears. This is no time for tears. If you are strong enough there will never be time for tears. No time for tears. No time for tears. This is no time for tears._

"Audrina…" He said quietly and she stood up abruptly.

"Sorry I chased you down. Have fun at the party. I think I need to go vomit." She said honestly and then proceeded to take every secret passageway she knew back to the common room.

"What happened?" Ginny asked the instant she entered their room. She slumped against the wall and put her head in her hands. Ginny's arms snaked around her quickly and pulled Audrina towards her.

"He's in so much trouble and I can't do anything to stop it." She said quietly and the admittance broke the dam she had crafted. She sobbed in Ginny's arms until the tears faded and there was nothing left to give. Then they curled up in bed and slept fitfully.

"Are you going to be alright?" Ginny asked in the morning as Audrina groggily opened her eyes and frowned at the pounding headache that pulsed through her brain at the light.

"No." She said as everything that happened last night came rushing back. "Maybe I should just go home and try to smack some sense into him."

"Yeah, cause you're so antsy to get home for Christmas Break." Ginny said sarcastically and Audrina threw a pillow at her. She got up carefully and flinched as pain radiated through her head. Ginny didn't say anything as she carefully reached for her diary and picked up a quill.

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Well, last night is a blur. The worst kind of blur. Not the happy, I can't remember all the good things that happened because I was too busy laughing and smiling. The kind where I wake up and I can't remember all the bad things and each one hits me a little bit later than the others so there's a constant roll of pain and just when it subsides, when I get distracted by something and forget for a brief second, I'll remember it all over and something new and it's a wave that gets bigger each time and I know I can keep my head above it but right now I feel like I'm drowning in waves of bad things. There's terror in not being able to swim but it's even worse when you know you can swim but your body doesn't want to. I'm stupid and blind and an idiot for thinking that spending an evening with Seamus would be fun. Merlin, I wish it could. I wish I could just like the boy that blows things up, who's dad's a muggle and mum's a witch. I could be happy with him. He could come round the Burrow with Dean, spend New Years with us and I could kiss him and be happy. We could play pranks and laugh through detention together, we could eat lunch on the pitch and afterwards play a little pick up game, getting too competitive and settling the score by snogging. It would be so easy. He's a great guy, Seamus. I wish I could like him like Ginny likes Dean. I wish I could laugh at him. There are a lot of versions of my life and sometimes it's like I can jump between paintings. I could fall in love with Seamus and we would graduate and plunge ourselves into this war. I could stay up and worry about him, worry that someone like Draco will be the reason he doesn't come home. But I know that's not my life. I'm not meant to fall in love with the boy that makes my life easy. I wish I could fall in love with him and have that be the end of it. I wish I could fall in love with Jace or Adam or even Ron. Someone normal, someone who I don't have to worry about, someone who isn't nearly lost to the dark side. But what can I say? I like to be challenged._

 _-Audrina Carona Black_

She set her diary aside and joined Ginny on the floor to look for the clothes that had found their way under the beds, along with Arnold's cage, a textbook she had been looking for since Halloween, and homework of Hermione's she had insisted Ron had stolen to copy.

"I only have one more day of detention before I'm free." Audrina said happily to break the silence, continuing to pack her truck.

"Speaking of which, you're late." Ginny commented nonchalantly. Audrina glanced at the clock and realized it was past noon. She swore and took off. She skidded into McGonagall's office, backpedaling so she didn't hit her desk, completely out of breath.

"Sorry Professor, I was packing, sorry." She wheezed. She looked up and saw McGonagall's stern face was not looking at her but behind her towards the doorway.

"You're not the only one." She said stiffly. "Do come in Mr. Malfoy. You are both lucky it's nearly the holidays, or I'd be more inclined to give you both more detentions." Audrina spun around to see Draco sulking through the doorway, looking disgusted.

"Professor-" She started but it took one shrewd look from her to shut her mouth tightly.

"Ms. Black, I do not want to hear it. You and Mr. Malfoy will clean all Transfiguration classrooms, no magic, until they are spotless. Then you may report back here for my dismissal. I suggest you make it work. And that you behave yourselves." She said astutely then swept out of the room. Wrinkling her nose, Audrina went to open one of the several broom cupboards she had become very familiar with.

"I can't believe she's got me doing work the Squib should be doing." Draco muttered and she turned around, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe you should do her homework and you wouldn't have to." She pointed out. He scoffed.

"There's no point to this stupid homework anymore. No point to this stupid school." He grumbled and she felt her stomach drop out as she remembered his conversation with Snape.

"You've just always been spoiled when it came to working." She tried to brush it off lightly.

"You shouldn't forget that at one point you were as well." He said quietly and she closed her eyes tightly then got to work. They didn't talk for hours, until they had cleaned every classroom spotlessly. She leaned against a desk, rubbing her aching arms.

"That was bloody hard." She mumbled.

"Living with the Weasley's must have taught you something. Clearly you've done this before." He said quietly but snidely and she spun around, raising her broom like a sword.

"Say something again. I dare you." She said lowly and he eyed her with a skeptic expression, glancing at her wand across the room on McGonagall's desk then back at the broom.

"You can't do anything." He said, his confidence slipping slightly when she hefted the broom higher.

"You forget that I was at the Ministry, Draco. I've stared down people far more frightening than you. Like your father." She added the last sentence with slight hesitation but the reaction was instant. His face drained of all blood and his hands clenched into fists, his expression contorting into rage. She fought not to take a step back.

"And how did that feel, Audrina? To betray a man who had raised you?" He spat, walking towards her. She held her ground.

"It felt right. Because I was betraying a man who was betraying all of the wizarding community. Don't you see how wrong it is, to kill anyone that's not us? We all have wands. Blood doesn't matter, it never should have mattered. And somewhere along the line we made it matter. He's not going to stop Draco. He'll never stop killing people, even if every last one of us gives in. He'll kill everyone until there's no one and nothing left. Not even you." Her voice grew very quiet and he stopped, inches from her face.

"Then why not postpone death as long as we can?" He asked nearly inaudibly, his tone curious and not accusing.

"Why not face it head on?" She challenged, not backing down for him, staring up defiantly.

"And there's the girl that walked away for Gryffindor." He said, narrowing his eyes and her breath hitched in her throat. Despite all her bravado she desperately wished that she had her wand in her hand.

"And she never looked back." She forced herself to say, hating that her voice was wavering.

"I wish she would have." He whispered, running his hand through her hair, his eyes never leaving hers. She squeaked involuntarily and he let go, backing away several steps.

"Your work is acceptable. You both may leave." McGonagall decreed upon arriving, then stared at Draco and Audrina, mere feet apart, faces flushed and breathing haphazardly.

"Thanks Professor." She said quickly, nearly sprinting out of the classroom. She didn't stop running until she was back in the common room.

"Audrina, are you finished packing?" Hermione called across the room but she ignored her, continuing her dash for her room. She curled up in the corner, knees to chest, trying to tame the emotions racing through her.

"I am 15. This is not my fight. This is not my battle. I am here to get through this. Not to fight it. It's not my place. I am 15. I shouldn't have to handle this. I shouldn't have to fight." She whispered to herself.

And yet she knew she did. She was a Gryffindor and she hadn't looked back, not once. And she never would. She would stand up, she knew she would. Every fiber of her being said to stand up, to face the threat, to do her part and save whomever she could. She was a lion. Gold and scarlet ran through her veins. She shouldn't have to fight. She was too young. But she was a fighter. A Gryffindor.

 **AN: Sorry this is so late in the day, updates are gonna be sporadic due to the Christmas holiday. Please leave me reviews!**


	25. Chapter 25

A loud pop woke her from her restless dreams of McGonagall looming over her, tapping a green and sliver badge on her chest and telling her to leave. She sat up with a start, fumbling for her wand, disorientated before she realized she was at home, at the Burrow.

"Audrina!" A familiar voice cried and she squinting, seeing two vaguely similar shapes with red hair.

"Blimey, what time is it?" She groaned, sinking back down into the pillows, shoving Ginny's hair aside.

"Six in the morning, but we thought we'd stop in and say hullo, tell you we've missed you." One shape, George, told her cheerfully.

"Compliment you on singlehandedly pulling two great pranks in one day." Fred continued and she smiled without opening her eyes.

"Liked that, did you?"

"Brilliant. Had a first year in the shop the other day, said he still hasn't gotten the slime out of his ears. You did great, Rin." They congratulated and she put her hand over her heart.

"Stop, or I'll think you're not being sincere." She said and two sets of hands patted her head then disappeared with another piercing pop. She settled back under the covers and smiled as she fell back asleep.

Once she woke up properly and went down to the kitchen for breakfast, she caught up with twins, hearing about all their adventures with customers. They eagerly showed her new products, scheming different ways that she could use them until Mrs. Weasley scolded all three of them.

Break went by faster than ever- the house was a whirling mess of ginger Weasley children, wedding plans, Harry and herself, and even Remus visiting. Ginny and Audrina busied themselves with making paper chains to avoid Fleur's insistences they help with the wedding. The result was that upon decorating the living room it looked rather like a small-scale explosion of paper chains.

She didn't tell Ginny or anyone else of her detention with Draco. She overheard Harry telling Ron "I told you" several times, though she justified her eavesdropping with the fact the Burrow was so crowded, anyone could hear their conversations.

She received a letter from Seamus apologizing for getting drunk at the party and promising to make it up to her. She noticed Ginny's smirk when she wrote him back a letter saying that she had had a perfectly lovely time and there was no need to say sorry to her.

On Christmas Eve they all crowded into the living room, playing Exploding Snap and listening to the radio. Fred had whispered to her that the angel on top of the tree was actually a garden gnome painted gold and perched grumpily to stare down at all of them with annoyance. She was rather glad Hermione wasn't around to give them a lecture in magical animal cruelty.

She looked over to see Harry talking with Mr. Weasley and sighed, knowing that it was more than likely dealing with Draco. It was hard for her to sort out her feelings. On one hand she knew she would never betray Ginny or the Weasley's, who had given her a family. But Draco was the first person that she had loved, perhaps even more than her own family. It was impossible to reconcile that love with the cold-blooded man Harry saw him to be.

Loud conversation broke out at the end of the broadcast and while Mr. Weasley went to get eggnog, she watched in amusement as Mrs. Weasley shot Fleur daggers. She leaned closer to Harry's leg from her position on the floor, hearing Remus discuss werewolves with Harry.

She felt no need to snoop here. She had managed to wrangle the full story out of Sirius in one letter. She had known about Remus being a werewolf after second year, after they had all found out. But she had been curious about the man that had been Sirius's best friend and between her letters to the two of them, had pieced the majority of the story together.

She felt odd, sitting between all the different families and personalities. She let her mind drift back to what traditions she had with her family before she had left for Hogwarts. Sitting perfectly still in the dining room as her mother directed the house elves to serve a traditional dinner. Being silent in the corner as her mother and father coldly exchanged one gift then watched her open her pile of clothes, dolls, and books.

She glanced around and realized she preferred the warmth of the Burrow to any memories she had from her childhood.

Christmas morning dawned bright and Ginny was already awake and tearing through presents enthusiastically when Audrina woke up. She squinted at her and then groaned when she beamed at her.

"You could have waited for me." Audrina grumbled, kicking a blanket towards Ginny. She grabbed it and wrapped it around herself, still plowing through gifts. Audrina sat up and pulled her own towards her.

Hermione had bought her a book about various potion-brewing techniques around the world and Ginny surprised her with a new set out Quidditch gloves designed to repel water and not stretch. She received her own Weasley sweater, with a large A in gold in the middle. The twins surprised her with more of their experimental products with a note to 'put these to good use.' She set her parents gift aside; she would open that one in private.

When they trooped down for food, they joined an already full table. Everybody was wearing new sweaters when they all sat down for Christmas lunch, everyone except Fleur (on whom, it appeared, Mrs. Weasley had not wanted to waste one) and Mrs. Weasley herself, who was sporting a brand-new midnight blue witch's hat glittering with what looked like tiny star like diamonds, and a spectacular golden necklace.

"Fred and George gave them to me! Aren't they beautiful?" She said, turning this way and that to show them off.

"Well, we find we appreciate you more and more, Mum, now we're washing our own socks," said George, waving an airy hand. "Parsnips, Remus?"

"Harry, you've got a maggot in your hair," said Ginny cheerfully, leaning across the table to pick it out while Audrina made a disgusted face. Apparently they had been a gift from Kreacher.

"'Ow 'orrible," said Fleur, with an affected little shudder.

"Yes, isn't it?" said Ron. "Gravy, Fleur?" In his eagerness to help her, he knocked the gravy boat flying; Bill waved his wand and the gravy soared up in the air and returned meekly to the boat.

"You are as bad as zat Tonks," said Fleur to Ron, when she had finished kissing Bill in thanks. "She is always knocking —"

"I invited dear Tonks to come along today," said Mrs. Weasley, setting down the carrots with unnecessary force and glaring at Fleur. "But she wouldn't come. Have you spoken to her lately, Remus?"

"No, I haven't been in contact with anybody very much," said Lupin. "But Tonks has got her own family to go to, hasn't she?"

"Hmmm," said Mrs. Weasley. "Maybe. I got the impression she was planning to spend Christmas alone, actually." She gave Lupin an annoyed look; as though it was his entire fault she was getting Fleur for a daughter-in-law instead of Tonks. Audrina felt her pain- she would much rather see Tonks staying at the Burrow than Fleur any day.

"Tonks's Patronus has changed its form," Harry addressed Remus curiously. "Snape said so anyway. I didn't know that could happen. Why would your Patronus change?" Lupin took his time chewing his turkey and swallowing before saying slowly,

"Sometimes... A great shock... An emotional up heaval..."

"It looked big, and it had four legs," said Harry then lowered his voice. "Hey... it couldn't be-?"

"Arthur!" said Mrs. Weasley suddenly. She had risen from her chair; her hand was pressed over her heart and she was staring out of the kitchen window. "Arthur — it's Percy!"

"What?" Mr. Weasley looked around. Everybody looked quickly at the window; Ginny stood up on her teetering chair for a better look. There, sure enough, was Percy Weasley, striding across the snowy yard, his horn-rimmed glasses glinting in the sunlight. He was not, however, alone.

"Arthur, he's — he's with the Minister!" Before any of them could do more than exchange stunned looks, the back door opened and there stood Percy. Audrina reached out and put one hand over Fred's chest and saw Bill do the same to George. No one restrained Ginny, which she felt was a mistake.

There was a moment's painful silence. Then Percy said rather stiffly, "Merry Christmas, Mother."

"Oh, Percy!" said Mrs. Weasley, and she threw herself into his arms. Rufus Scrimgeour paused in the doorway, leaning on his walking stick and smiling as he observed this affecting scene.

"You must forgive this intrusion," he said, when Mrs. Weasley looked around at him, beaming and wiping her eyes. "Percy and I were in the vicinity — working, you know — and he couldn't resist dropping in and seeing you all."

But Percy showed no sign of wanting to greet any of the rest of the family. He stood, poker-straight and awkward-looking, and stared over everybody else's heads. Mr. Weasley, Fred, and George were all observing him, stony-faced. Ginny's ears were going red and the tension was palpable.

"Please, come in, sit down, Minister!" fluttered Mrs. Weasley, straightening her hat. "Have a little purkey, or some tooding... I mean —"

"No, no, my dear Molly," said Scrimgeour, as though he was doing all of them a big service. "I don't want to intrude, wouldn't be here at all if Percy hadn't wanted to see you all so badly…"

"Oh, Perce!" said Mrs. Weasley tearfully, reaching up to kiss him. Bill, George, and Fred watched their mother with stony eyes.

"We've only looked in for five minutes, so I'll have a stroll around the yard while you catch up with Percy. No, no, I assure you I don't want to butt in! Well, if anybody cared to show me your charming garden… Ah, that young man's finished, why doesn't he take a stroll with me?"

The atmosphere around the table changed perceptibly. They all looked from Scrimgeour to Harry. THey didn't seemed to find Scrimgeour's pretense that he did not know Harry's name convincing, or find it natural that he should be chosen to accompany the Minister around the garden when Ginny, Fleur, and George also had clean plates.

"Yeah, all right," said Harry into the silence. "It's fine," he said quietly, as he passed Lupin, who had half-risen from his chair. "Fine," he added, as Mr. Weasley opened his mouth to speak.

"Wonderful!" said Scrimgeour, standing back to let Harry pass through the door ahead of him. "We'll just take a turn around the garden, and Percy and I'll be off. Carry on, everyone!" They left, silence swooping in to fill the sudden void. No one moved for a long moment. Then Mrs. Weasley began to cry, rather loudly, startling Ginny and Audrina.

"Percy… Home for Christmas… I was so worried… Everyone under the same roof!" She blubbered and Percy stared at her, making no move to comfort her in any way.

"Sit." Mr. Weasley said tightly, to his middle son, gesturing to a slight opening between Fred and Ron. Suddenly the space was marginally smaller, though Fred and Ron had calm expressions. It was as though the table, which had fit them comfortably when Harry was seated, was suddenly locked elbow to elbow, with no space left whatsoever.

As Mrs. Weasley fixed Percy a plate, Audrina saw George look to Fred, then Ginny, then finally her. The parsnips George had offered Remus suddenly disappeared beneath the table and were passed, unseen around, only to resurface at Mr. Weasley's left elbow.

"Percy, tell us all about the Ministry!" Mrs. Weasley encouraged, trying to get him to squeeze into the table.

"Yeah Perce, tell us how you're going to save us all with that great big head of yours." George mocked sarcastically and Mrs. Weasley smacked him firmly. Percy set his food aside, untouched.

"It's valuable work. More valuable than a joke shop." He sneered and Fred raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Uncomfortable silence fell once more, broken only by the clicking of forks as they finished off what had once been a lovely Christmas meal.

"So, Percy, tell me, are you going to take over the Ministry mantel?" Bill asked and though the tone was casual, Percy's back went stiff.

"I'm just hoping to make more of myself than anyone in this family did." He said and a hurt little gasp escaped from Mrs. Weasley, though it may have been a scream of pain from the reaction it received from them. Parsnip went flying, well aimed from all areas of the table.

The ensuring chaos was hard to follow but there was a rather large amount of screaming from Percy, raucous laughter from Bill, and more crying from Mrs. Weasley. Percy left in a huff and when everything calmed down once more, Mrs. Weasley turned her eyes on them.

"Which one of you lot did that?" She demanded, still intimidating even if she had tears streaming down her cheeks. Unapologetically, the twins, Ginny, and Audrina raised their hands. She looked at them for a long moment then nodded without saying a word.

Mrs. Weasley leveled no punishment as them. They all agreed it was bad enough watching her cry her eyes out all day long. The gift from Audrina's parents stayed where it was, in the corner. She saw Ginny take note of it but understood why she was hesitant to open it. When Fleur came into their room and made a comment, Ginny gave her such a cold look Fleur stopped midsentence.

 **AN:** Ok, now that the holiday's are over, back to normal updates! I hope everyone had a merry whatever they celebrate. Please leave me reviews, thanks for reading!


	26. Chapter 26

The last night Fred and George stayed with them, they all gathered downstairs, pulling blankets around themselves and playing games of Exploding Snap, laughing and giggling as they finished off the eggnog.

Eventually sleepy silence fell. Ginny was curled up in a corner with Harry sitting awkwardly nearby. Ron sprawled out over one armchair while George was in the other. Audrina was propped against Fred's legs as he languidly shuffled through the deck.

"Do you feel safe?" Ginny asked quietly. The question was general, addressed to no one in particular, but they all shifted slightly.

"Does anyone?" Ron asked lowly.

"How can we, with Voldemort out there?" Audrina pointed out and felt Fred's hand gently close over her shoulder.

"You say his name." Harry said, sitting up slightly and looking at her. Everyone else straightened as well, looking her way.

"So do you." She said, folding her arms defensively. Harry nodded slowly and they stared at each other.

"I'm not scared of him." Harry said and all everyone swung his or her head to look at her.

"Neither am I." She stated.

"Why?" George asked, looking at her curiously.

"Because…" She hesitated, wondering if they would say anything. "Because I wasn't raised to fear him like you all were." Total silence fell and she wavered between running and staying where she sat. Then Ron spoke.

"I can see it." He said nonchalantly and the matter was closed just like that. Everyone continued talking while she held her breath. Fred's hand remained on her shoulder and when Ginny and Audrina got up for bed, she looped her arm with Audrina's and put her head on her shoulder. She went to bed but Audrina reached for her diary, feeling the need to write.

 _Dear Dairy,_

 _It's difficult to be a part of this family sometimes. I forget all of the little things that are so ingrained in me that even five and half years of being in Gryffindor can't erase them. Like the fact that even though I know Voldemort is the most evil wizard of our age, maybe even in all of history and I can't even be fearful enough of him to say his name. I grew up with him not be called 'he-who-must-not-be-named- or even 'you-know-who'. He was the Dark Lord and I was told for eleven years of my life that he was a great and powerful wizard that had tried in vain to make the wizarding world a better place. I know my father is not a Death Eater. He spent too much time in France at my mother's wish to get involved in the matters of a wizard in England but yet I was raised not to fear him. I wonder if I had been in Slytherin if I would be the Pansy. The girl who isn't a Death Eater but loves and supports the boy that is. The girl who doesn't flinch away from a dark mark. I'm happy that I grew up in Gryffindor. That I met the infamous 'boy-who-lived' that Draco hated so much and became one of his friends. If I am to be a solider I am glad for the side that I've picked. Sometimes I just don't think the people around me realize that I could have easily been a solider for the other side and that I know why it is that they do what they do._

 _-_ _Audrina Carona Black_

The rest of break was quiet enough. Lupin only stayed for a couple days longer then departed. Tonks didn't make an appearance, much to all their disappointment, and the twins left for their joke shop after New Years Day, only after several hugs and her promise to keep up her good work. Without their antics the Burrow was much quieter.

"You have to open it sometime you know." Ginny said quietly, as Audrina squirmed underneath Fleur's bed, straining to see if anything important had rolled under it.

"Open what?" Audrina asked curiously, crawling out and smacking her head in the process. Ginny pointed to the corner, where the small gift was still sitting, untouched since Christmas morning. "Ah." She said apprehensively, rubbing her head as a lump formed.

"Do you want me to do it?" Ginny asked slowly and she sat down with a huff, eyeing it hesitantly.

"No." She said slowly. "Throw it over." She reached down and tossed it over. Audrina caught it and toyed with the white bow enclosing the black box. "Do you think…?" She said quietly and Ginny shook her head.

"Don't start overthinking it Rin. Just do it." She advised, watching her with interest.

"Alright, alright. I'm going to do it." Audrina said and squeezed her eyes shut, then tugged on the bow, causing it to fall off. She opened her eyes and with a trembling hand, removed the lid of the box, tipping it upside down and emptying the contents into her lap.

A letter fluttered out first, followed by what seemed to be a black and white photo. She picked up the photo first and flipped it over. She squeaked and dropped it again, clapping her hands over her mouth. Ginny leapt off of the bed and grabbed it then swore loudly.

"Is that?" She demanded and Audrina nodded. "Blimey." She said weakly. Audrina took the photo from her, staring at it in amazement. It was a photo that showed her little sibling wriggling around in her mother's belly, occasionally opening and closing their little hands, as though they could see her and were waving.

Audrina pick up the letter and smoothed it out. It was short, no more than one quarter of a page, in her mother's elegant hand.

"Dear Audrina," She read aloud to Ginny. "It will be a boy. We plan to name him Rigel Castor Black. He is due in spring, around April. We have heard through your professors as well as Draco of your exploits at school and while we know you will not heed our demands that you behave, we are obligated to remind you that you are a part of the House of Black and should remember your place. Enclosed is your gift. We assume you will stay with the Weasley family during Easter Break. Your mother."

"Rigel." Ginny said, sounding just as stunned as Audrina felt.

"The star. Another Black, another star." She said quietly, watching the little fists open and close at her. "It's a boy, Ginny." She said, looking up at her in shock. "A brother." Ginny just watched her closely, as she gently put the letter in her truck then carefully slid the photo into her book from Hermione.

"Rin…" She said quietly, as though waiting for her to have a sudden meltdown. Audrina smiled up at her.

"C'mon Gin, lets go bother Harry and Ron." She encouraged and she raised an eyebrow but got off her bed and followed her downstairs.

She watched her carefully the rest of the day, as they annoyed Harry and Ron until they kicked them out of their room. Audrina didn't feel anger or hate towards her little brother but rather vague excitement. When they went to bed, she glanced at the photo next to her wand and smiled. They finished packing the next day and prepared to head off.

"Don't cry, Mum," said Ginny, patting her on the back as Mrs. Weasley sobbed into her shoulder. "It's okay…"

"Yeah, don't worry about us," said Ron, permitting his mother to plant a very wet kiss on his cheek, "or about Percy. He's such a prat, it's not really a loss, is it?" Mrs. Weasley ignored him and sobbed harder than ever as she enfolded Harry in her arms.

"Promise me you'll look after yourself… Stay out of trouble..." She wept, turning to Audrina and patting her face.

"I always do, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry with a little smile. "I like a quiet life, you know me."

She gave a watery chuckle and stood back. "Be good, then, all of you... No more pranks Audrina!" She called as Audrina stepped into the fire and yelled "Hogwarts!" followed by everyone else.

She waited with Harry as Ron came spinning into view. When Ginny had arrived, all of them trooped out of McGonagall's office and off toward Gryffindor Tower. The school seemed even more entrenched in snow than before and as she felt the chill she longed for the cozy Burrow.

"Baubles," said Ron confidently, when they reached the Fat Lady, who was looking rather paler than usual and winced at his loud voice.

"No." She said flatly.

"What d'you mean, 'no'?" Ron demanded, glancing back at them, confused. They all shrugged.

"There is a new password," she said. "And please don't shout."

"But we've been away, how're we supposed to—?" Ginny started, looking ready to start banging on the portrait.

"Harry! Audrina! Ginny!" Hermione was hurrying toward them, very pink-faced and wearing a cloak, hat, and gloves. "I got back a couple of hours ago, I've just been down to visit Hagrid and Buck — I mean Witherwings," she said breathlessly. "Did you have a good Christmas?"

"Yeah," said Ron at once, "pretty eventful, Rufus Scrim—"

"I've got something for you, Harry," said Hermione, neither looking at Ron nor giving any sign that she had heard him. Ginny and Audrina exchanged amused looks. "Oh, hang on— password. Abstinence."

"Precisely," said the Fat Lady in a feeble voice, and swung forward to reveal the portrait hole.

"What's up with her?" asked Harry.

"Overindulged over Christmas, apparently," said Hermione, rolling her eyes as she led the way into the packed common room, full of students and trunks. "She and her friend Violet drank their way through all the wine in that picture of drunk monks down by the Charms corridor. Anyway..." She rummaged in her pocket for a moment then pulled out a scroll of parchment with Dumbledore's writing on it handing it over to Harry.

"Great," said Harry, unrolling it at once. "I've got loads to tell him— and you. Let's sit down—" But at that moment there was a loud squeal of "Won-Won!" and Lavender Brown came hurtling out of nowhere and flung herself into Ron's arms. Several onlookers sniggered; Hermione gave a tinkling laugh and said, "There's a table over here... Coming, Ginny, Audrina?"

"No, thanks, I said I'd meet Dean," said Ginny, and Audrina could tell she wasn't looking forward to it. She'd hardly mentioned Dean over Christmas and when she had, it was only to grumble about how he was bitter about not making the house team. Hermione looked to Audrina. She shrugged.

"I can keep myself busy." She said with a smile, starting to drift towards their dormitory.

"Wait." Hermione said suddenly, pulling out another note. "This was for you too." With a frown Audrina opened it. It was a note identical to Harry's, telling her to come with Harry to Dumbledore's office. She raised her eyebrows.

"If this is about the slug thing, I'm blaming Jace." She said flatly and Harry grinned at her. With a small wave she headed upstairs and began unpacking. She pulled the photo of her brother from the book and tenderly propped it against desk. She watched his waving fist again.

 **AN:** Ok now that the holiday is over, back to normal Monday/Friday updates, I promise. Pretty please let me know what you think, thanks for reading!


	27. Chapter 27

"I've got to go." She said ruefully, glancing at her watch and getting up from her place in the ring of Millie's first year friends, all of who were hanging on her words about Fred and George's departure last year.

"To where?" Millie questioned and she patted her head kindly.

"No where that concerns you, Millie dear. Stay in trouble while I'm gone!" She called. She met Harry halfway to the office- he seemed to be quite winded but waved it off easily.

"Everyone wants to hear about Apparition. Can't you do it?" He demanded and she squirmed slightly.

"You're not really supposed to know." She said. He looked at her but didn't press the matter. The lamps in Dumbledore's office were lit; the portraits of previous headmasters were snoring gently in their frames. She slipped in behind Harry, who looked thoroughly comfortable with his surroundings. But before Harry or her could say anything, Dumbledore spoke.

"I hear that you met the Minister of Magic over Christmas?" He asked, addressing Harry.

"Yes," said Harry. "He's not very happy with me."

"No," sighed Dumbledore. "He is not very happy with me either. We must try not to sink beneath our anguish, Harry, but battle on." Harry grinned at him. Only Dumbledore could be batty enough to insult the Minister of Magic and do it so tactfully.

"He wanted me to tell the Wizarding community that the Ministry's doing a wonderful job." Harry scoffed. Dumbledore smiled. Audrina looked at Harry with raised eyebrows; he hadn't told any of them what the Minister had said during their walk.

"It was Fudge's idea originally, you know. During his last days in office, when he was trying desperately to cling to his post, he sought a meeting with you, hoping that you would give him your support —"

"After everything Fudge did last year?" protested Harry angrily. "After _Umbridge_?"

"I told Cornelius there was no chance of it, but the idea did not die when he left office. Within hours of Scrimgeour's appointment we met and he demanded that I arrange a meeting with you." Dumbledore said calmly.

"So that's why you argued!" Harry blurted out. "It was in the Daily Prophet." He explained when she made a quiet noise of confusion.

"The Prophet is bound to report the truth occasionally," said Dumbledore, "if only accidentally. Yes, that was why we argued. Well, it appears that Rufus found a way to corner you at last."

"He accused me of being 'Dumbledore's man through and through.'"

"How very rude of him."

"I told him I was." Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again. Behind Harry, Fawkes the phoenix let out a low, soft, musical cry. She looked away from the two men before her, wondering desperately why she was there, feeling like an intruder.

"I am very touched, Harry."

"Scrimgeour wanted to know where you go when you're not at Hogwarts," said Harry, still looking fixedly at his knees.

"Yes, he is very nosy about that," said Dumbledore, now sounding cheerful, and she looked up again. "He has even attempted to have me followed. Amusing, really. He set Dawlish to tail me. It wasn't kind. I have already been forced to jinx Dawlish once; I did it again with the greatest regret."

"So they still don't know where you go?" asked Harry curiously, but Dumbledore merely smiled over the top of his half-moon spectacles.

"No, they don't, and the time is not quite right for you to know either. Now, I have a question for Audrina, unless there's anything else—?"

"There is, actually, sir," said Harry. "It's about Malfoy and Snape." He twitched as though to turn around and look at her, but didn't. She stood very still, wondering what Dumbledore would tell Harry and vice versa. Dumbledore raised his eyes to hers for a long moment then lowered them back to Harry without a word to her. She exhaled a deep breath.

"Professor Snape, Harry."

"Yes, sir. I overheard them during Professor Slughorn's party... Well, I followed them, actually..." Dumbledore listened to Harry's entire story with an impassive face. When Harry had finished he did not speak for a few moments, then said, quite evenly,

"Thank you for telling me this, Harry, but I suggest that you put it out of your mind. I do not think that it is of great importance."

"Not of great importance?" repeated Harry incredulously. "Professor, did you understand—?"

"Yes, Harry, blessed as I am with extraordinary brainpower, I understood everything you told me," said Dumbledore, a little sharply. "I think you might even consider the possibility that I understood more than you did. Again, I am glad that you have confided in me, but let me reassure you that you have not told me anything that causes me disquiet."

"So, sir," said Harry, in a clearly forced polite, calm voice, "you definitely still trust—?"

"I have been tolerant enough to answer that question already," said Dumbledore, though his tone implied he wasn't very tolerant anymore. "My answer has not changed."

"I should think not," said a snide voice; Phineas Nigellus was evidently only pretending to be asleep. Dumbledore ignored him.

"Now I have a couple quick questions for Audrina, if you could forgive me." He said and Harry glanced back at her. She put her hands up.

"Professor, the slugs, they were all Jace, I swear." She protested instantly and Dumbledore waved a hand.

"Surely Audrina, you couldn't think that was the reason I called you up here." He said, his eyes twinkling once more. She opened her mouth then shut it, shrugging helplessly. "Tell me, when is your sibling due?" Harry's neck nearly snapped he turned around to look at her so quickly.

"April, sir." She said quietly.

"A boy, correct?" He asked and she nodded. He seemed to ponder it for a moment then hummed quietly.

"They're going to name him Rigel Castor Black." She admitted to the silence, just to fill it.

"A solid name if I've ever heard one." Phineas said with a satisfied nod. She shot the painting a dirty look.

"And Audrina, do you recall what we talked about this summer?" Dumbledore inquired and she nodded slowly, struggling not to look at Harry. "Have you made an headway into the situation?"

"Uh, sorry sir, but I don't understand." She said slowly. Harry looked between them, bewildered.

"Often Audrina, the people in the worst places can only be coaxed out of such a place by those they love or hold dear. I've seen it many times myself. Now, if my somewhat failing memory is correct, you have a lot of work to do." He said and she stared blankly at him.

The person in a dark place was Draco, obviously. Was this Dumbledore's way of admitting that Draco was tied to the Dark Lord in some way? What was her job? To coax him out? To get him away from the Death Eaters and make sure he didn't do anything stupid? Did Dumbledore not know that every time Draco and her spoke, it nearly came to blows?

"Sir, if you don't mind me saying, I don't think it's my place." she said, as Harry looked at her in wonderment.

"Trust me, I know it is." He said with a smile then waved his hand. "Hop, hop. Off to bed for you! I will return Harry in due time." She headed down the spiral staircase, Harry's baffled face staring at her.

"Where were you?" Ginny demanded, when she arrived back in their room, still pondering Dumbledore's words.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Audrina muttered. Ginny gave her a look. "Dumbledore's office." She admitted and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Told you."

"Are you really in that much trouble?" She asked incredulously. "I mean, you've been called up there before but usually he waits until you do something ridiculously massive. Or dangerous. Or it interferes with classes. Or learning. Or could harm the first years. Wait, are you planning something and didn't tell me again?"

"He asked me about my brother." She admitted, glancing at the photo, forever waving at her.

"If my parents decided to have one more Weasley, I doubt he'd be interested." She grumbled.

"That's because there's already enough of you." Audrina commented and the ensuring wrestling match was enough for her to stop asking questions. Audrina didn't have time to think much about Dumbledore's words. Classes resumed with a vengeance and homework was handed out freely.

The first Potions lesson back was no time for lazing around- it was antidotes and while there was certainly an amusing little episode with Harry and a bezoar that caused Hermione to rant about him for a couple long hours, Draco neither looked her way nor gave any indication whatsoever she existed.

This wasn't without any effort on her part- she tried several times to walk by his desk and catch his eye, tried to bump into him awkwardly in the halls, even wander down his aisle in the library. Nothing worked, so she resorted to focusing on Quidditch practices and the fact that Ginny was grumbling about Dean more than ever lately.

She was spending some time with Seamus but despite Ginny's prying into it, it was as nothing more than friends. He seemed to be one of the few boys with a genuine appreciation for pranks and once she introduced him to Jace a pranking trifecta was born.

* * *

As January faded into February and she no longer froze each practice, she noticed that Draco was cropping up less and less in all the normal student hangouts. She even paid Millie a Knut to ask a Slytherin first year if he was spending more time in the common room, to no avail. She resigned herself to the fact Dumbledore had been off his rocker once again.

Then it was a couple days after Valentine's Day and she was still dying with laughter over the fact that Jace had been attacked, not once, not twice, but three times by vengeful ex-girlfriends. Ginny was still angry that Dean had forgotten the holiday and had tried to make it up to her with a pitiful, sloppy snowman on the lawn that melted nearly instantly. Her bad mood was compounded every time Audrina reminded her of the singing valentine she had once sent Harry, which was frequently.

She was walking up the Grand Staircase, nose buried in her Ancient Ruins textbook when she realized she was on the trick staircase, with one of the many notorious sinking steps.

"Bloody hell." She swore, as her leg sunk in. She tried fruitlessly to pull it out, already knowing from a long first year that it was useless. The steps required another person to pull you out. She stood there helplessly, wondering whether the situation would have been helped or hindered by Ginny being there. She glanced around and groaned.

Then, abruptly, two hands scooped under her armpits and hoisted her out easily. The step released her with a squelching noise and she turned around with a grin, ready to thank her rescuer. Draco's smirking face greeted her.

"Just like a first year." He commented breezily and she made a face, falling in step with him as he continued upwards.

"I was distracted." She protested, waving her book in front of him.

"Yes, you've been very studious lately. Always in the library, always sort of… Lurking." He said with a smirk and she gave him a dirty look.

"More than I can say about you. You're hardly there." She shot back and a dark look briefly flickered over his face but was gone so quickly she questioned if it was actually there.

"I've been busy." He said smoothly and before she could press it, he looked at her. "What do you think of the name Rigel? I was hoping your parents would name him after me actually…" He trailed off and grinned, clearly enjoying her shocked expression.

"How do you know?" She questioned dumbly. He rolled his eyes.

"I spent all of my Christmas with your mother. She's getting rather big." He said nonchalantly. She gaped at him, trying to imagine her cold, shrewd mother with a large belly and a life growing inside her.

"I'm surprised her heart's large enough to sustain two people." She muttered and Draco stumbled, he looked at her so quickly.

"Audrina." He said, his tone stunned. She looked up at him, unblinking. He had stopped in his tracks.

"They threw me out, remember? They've made it extremely clear to me that once I come of age; I'm a witch on my own. I'll have even less money than Ginny Weasley and no family behind me." She recapped for him wrathfully. "She's not having this baby for love, she's having it for an heir. Pureblood mothers don't know how to love their children." She spat.

"I always got the impression you were well loved." Draco shot back and she laughed hollowly.

"I was brainwashed with the notions I was better than anyone else here! That if I wasn't the perfect little child, everyone would turn their backs on me. And the second I did, the second that Sorting Hat told me I was brave, brave enough to leave everything I had ever known, they all did. You all did." She said quietly and Draco turned his head to stare at her.

"You left us." He protested and she folded her arms.

"I tried to make friends with you. But you spent all your time sweeping around the castle with your two goons acting like you were too busy to even notice me. I was lonely, so lonely I would cry myself to sleep every night. And then I got that Howler. Do you remember it? She told me to remember my place as a Black. And just that like, you never looked at me again." She said, blinking furiously to hold back the angry tears gathering in her eyes.

Draco looked at her, his entire body very still. She gazed at him, too tired and frustrated to fight. His face was totally blank, no expression on it whatsoever. She noticed again the dark circles and pallor to his skin, but then he raised his hand and she flinched, expecting to be hit.

Instead he touched her cheek gently, slowly pressing his entire palm to her face; fingers sliding back to tangle into her hair. She stayed absolutely stationary, still not sure if he was going to attack or not. He drew himself closer to her, looking down at her with an expression that could only be described as dazed.

"I never stopped looking at you. It's been four years and I still look at you, every single day. I see your happiness and it kills me that it couldn't be with me." He said quietly and she felt the sudden urge to laugh again.

"It's not like I would have gotten along with Pansy anyways." She said and he drew away instantly, eyes shielded once more.

"I suppose not." He said flatly, turning and walking away. Desperately, she reached out her hand, catching his own, tugging him to a stop.

"Don't leave me again." She begged quietly, unable to bear the thought of him walking away again, more than likely back to the Slytherin common room, to everyone that thought his Dark Mark was a symbol of reverence, to where Voldemort's name wasn't feared, where the Dark Arts were common. She couldn't stomach it.

He stood over her, his mouth opening and closing with no sound coming out of it, furious. Then he clamped his mouth shut and threw his hands up, shaking his head.

"You…" He growled and her eyes were wide. She'd never seen him like before in her life. "You…" He repeated, rubbing his face. "You." He said flatly and she shrunk back, prepared now for the rage. He put his hands on either side of her face, rooting her to the spot. She couldn't have even squeaked if she had wanted to, she was so petrified.

He leaned in, his eyes as wide as her own. She knew what was going to happen before it did, but that didn't stop a jolt of shock racing through her entire body when his lips gently touched hers, hesitant then firm then gone. He staggered back from her, hand over his mouth. He stared at her and she at him for a long moment then he raced off down the corridor.

She sunk down the wall and stayed there for what felt like hundreds of years, fingers on her lips. She might have remained there all day and night had Adam not wandered by and looked at her with concern, helping her up and guiding her back to the common room where he deposited her outside the Fat Lady and went off with a worried look.

She sat on top of her bed, motionless, unable to comprehend Draco's actions and what they meant. Thankfully, when Ginny entered, she was once again furious with Dean and his apparently forgetfulness that she completely ignored Audrina's muted, single word answers.

She had kissed Draco Malfoy or rather he had kissed her. It wasn't that she hadn't kissed a boy before. She had kissed Jace on a dare during third year but that hadn't gone anywhere. To date Jace was to willingly invite girls to be after your head and her sense of self-preservation was high enough to realize the danger that was Jace King.

She had kissed Adam once, during fourth year, while they studied in the library, mostly because she was curious and wanted to see how he would react. He had sighed and patted her hand and told her very nicely that she wasn't what he was interested in, much to her amusement.

Ginny and her had each kissed a pair of the muggle boys that lived in the village near the Burrow last summer on a hot day when they went to get ice cream, just to say that they had.

But she had never kissed anyone like that. She had never been shaken to her core by a kiss, making her fingers tremble and palms sweat at the very memory of it. She had never buried her face in her pillow to stifle her screams as she tried to exhale the butterflies in her stomach by yelling. She had never felt like she existed in a haze of excitement and confusion.

 **AN:** Happy Friday! Please please please leave me reviews for this chapter? Pretty please? Thanks for reading!


	28. Chapter 28

"Audrina. Audrina!" Hermione's voice startled her out of her stupor and she looked at her, wide eyed, trying to clear the fog. "Do you want me to grab you supplies out of the cupboard?" She demanded impatiently and Audrina nodded, still trying to shake the fog.

"I've got it." A quiet voice said, spilling all the ingredients onto the table. Audrina smiled up at Draco.

"Thank you." She said softly and he nodded, sitting behind his own cauldron. Hermione stared at her, aghast.

"What was that?" She hissed, looking at the supplies on the table and then at Audrina.

"I'm a Black." She muttered defensively. Hermione said nothing the rest of class but at the first opportunity to talk to Ginny, she pounced and within seconds, Ginny was striding over to her with a murderous expression.

"Walk." She demanded and when she hesitated, she grabbed her ear in a firm pinch and dragged her, squealing, out of the common room and into a secret passage. She let her go and she gave her an incredulous look.

"Ow Gin!"

"Speak." She ordered, pulling out her wand causally.

"We've been talking again. Sort of. I don't really know." Audrina admitted, glancing at the wand warily.

"Like you were this summer?" Ginny prompted and Audrina shrugged. She narrowed her eyes, raising the wand higher. Audrina put her hands up, watching the wand and not Ginny.

"A bit like this summer. He talked to me about my mom. We argued about their parenting abilities. He got mad, but now he's done I guess." She said, omitting the kiss guiltily. It wasn't something she was ready to share with Ginny yet. She kept watching her for a long second then put the wand away and offered Audrina her hand. She took it.

"Don't let him break your heart again." She warned her and all she could do was smile weakly.

"I won't."

* * *

"So, all in all, not one of Ron's better birthdays?" said Fred quietly. It was the evening of Ron's birthday; the hospital wing was quiet, the windows curtained, the lamps lit. Ron's was the only occupied bed. Audrina, along with, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were sitting around him; they had spent all day waiting outside the double doors, trying desperately to peer inside whenever somebody went in or out.

Madam Pomfrey had only let them enter at eight o'clock. Fred and George had arrived at ten past. Her happiness at seeing them was tempered by the fact Ron was unconscious.

"This isn't how we imagined handing over our present," said George grimly, putting down a large wrapped gift on Ron's bedside cabinet and sitting beside Ginny.

"Yeah, when we pictured the scene, he was conscious," said Fred, rubbing Audrina's shoulder gently.

"There we were in Hogsmeade, waiting to surprise him—" explained George, shaking his head.

"You were in Hogsmeade?" asked Ginny, looking up.

"We were thinking of buying Zonko's," said Fred gloomily. "A Hogsmeade branch, you know, but a fat lot of good it'll do us if you lot aren't allowed out at weekends to buy our stuff anymore ... But never mind that now." He said hastily, when Audrina reached up to congratulate him. He drew up a chair beside Harry and looked at Ron's pale face. "How exactly did it happen, Harry?"

Harry retold the story he had already recounted hundreds of times; he must have told Hermione when she arrived, then to professors, then to Ginny and Audrina when McGonagall found them in the common room and ushered them to the Hospital Wing without an explanation.

"…. And then I got the bezoar down his throat and his breathing eased up a bit, Slughorn ran for help, McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey turned up, and they brought Ron up here. They reckon he'll be all right. Madam Pomfrey says he'll have to stay here a week or so... keep taking essence of rue…"

"Blimey, it was lucky you thought of a bezoar," said George in a low voice, patting Ron's still hand.

"Lucky there was one in the room," said Harry, looking at Ron with a still scared expression. Hermione gave an almost inaudible sniff. She had been exceptionally quiet all day. She had taken almost no part in Harry and Ginny's obsessive discussion about how Ron had been poisoned, but merely stood beside Audrina, clench-jawed and frightened-looking, until at last they had been allowed in to see him.

"Do Mum and Dad know?" Fred asked Ginny. She nodded, sighing heavily and putting her head on Audrina's shoulder.

"They've already seen him, they arrived an hour ago — they're in Dumbledore's office now, but they'll be back soon…" There was a pause while they all watched Ron mumble a little in his sleep.

"So the poison was in the drink?" said Fred quietly.

"Yes," said Harry at once; they had been discussing this topic all day trying to figure it out to no avail. "Slughorn poured it out —"

"Would he have been able to slip something into Ron's glass without you seeing?" Audrina asked again, for the hundredth time.

"Probably," said Harry, "but why would Slughorn want to poison Ron?" She frowned; it was the only problem with her theory.

"No idea," said Fred, frowning. "You don't think he could have mixed up the glasses by mistake? Meaning to get you?"

"You haven't seen potions class if you'd think Slughorn doesn't like Harry." Audrina grumbled.

"She's right. Why would Slughorn want to poison Harry? He fawns over him." Ginny agreed with her.

"I dunno," said Fred, "but there must be loads of people who'd like to poison Harry, mustn't there? 'The Chosen One' and all that?"

"So you think Slughorn's a Death Eater?" said Ginny, giving her brother an incredulous look.

"Anything's possible," said Fred darkly.

"He could be under the Imperius Curse," said George.

"But he doesn't act strange any other time." Audrina pointed out.

"Or he could be innocent," said Ginny. "The poison could have been in the bottle, in which case it was probably meant for Slughorn himself."

"Who'd want to kill Slughorn?" Audrina asked in surprise, thinking that the only person likely would be someone who was sick of Slughorn also sucking up to his students with the most potential. Which made her the most likely culprit. She tried to hide her snicker.

"Dumbledore reckons Voldemort wanted Slughorn on his side," said Harry. "Slughorn was in hiding for a year before he came to Hogwarts. And…" He paused briefly then continued with, "And maybe Voldemort wants him out of the way, maybe he thinks he could be valuable to Dumbledore."

"But you said Slughorn had been planning to give the wine to Dumbledore for Christmas," Ginny reminded him. "So the poisoner could just as easily have been after Dumbledore."

"Then the poisoner didn't know Slughorn very well," said Hermione, speaking for the first time in hours and sounding as though she had a bad head cold. "Anyone who knew Slughorn would have known there was a good chance he'd keep something that tasty for himself."

"Er-my-nee," croaked Ron unexpectedly from between them and they all fell silent, watching him anxiously, but after muttering incomprehensibly for a moment he merely started snoring.

The dormitory doors flew open, making them all jump: Hagrid came striding toward their group, his hair rain-flecked, his bearskin coat flapping behind him, a crossbow in his hand, leaving a trail of muddy dolphin-sized footprints all over the floor.

"Bin in the forest all day!" he panted. "Aragog's worse, I bin readin' to him — didn' get up ter dinner till jus' now an' then Professor Sprout told me abou' Ron! How is he?"

"Not bad," said Harry. "They say he'll be okay."

"No more than seven visitors at a time!" said Madam Pomfrey, hurrying out of her office.

"Hagrid makes seven." George pointed out.

"Oh… Yes…" said Madam Pomfrey, who seemed to have been counting Hagrid as several people due to his vastness. To cover her confusion, she hurried off to clear up his muddy footprints with her wand.

"I don' believe this," said Hagrid hoarsely, shaking his great shaggy head as he stared down at Ron. "Jus' don' believe it... Look at him lyin' there… Who'd want ter hurt him, eh?"

"That's just what we were discussing," said Harry. "We don't know."

"Someone couldn' have a grudge against the Gryffindor Quidditch team, could they?" said Hagrid anxiously. "Firs' Katie, now Ron…"

"I can't see anyone trying to bump off a Quidditch team," said George dismissively.

"Wood might've done the Slytherins if he could've got away with it," said Fred fairly, making Audrina struggle to control her snort of laughter.

"I'd like to see anyone come at Ginny. Her Bat-Boogey is legendary already." Audrina commented and Ginny smiled proudly.

"Well, I don't think it's Quidditch, but I think there's a connection between the attacks," said Hermione quietly.

"How d'you work that out?" asked Fred.

"Well, for one thing, they both ought to have been fatal and weren't, although that was pure luck. And for another, neither the poison nor the necklace seems to have reached the person who was supposed to be killed. Of course," she added broodingly, "that makes the person behind this even more dangerous in a way because they don't seem to care how many people they finish off before they actually reach their victim."

Before anybody could respond to this ominous pronouncement, the dormitory doors opened again and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley hurried up the ward. They had done no more than satisfy themselves that Ron would make a full recovery on their last visit to the ward; now Mrs. Weasley seized hold of Harry and hugged him very tightly.

"Dumbledore's told us how you saved him with the bezoar," she sobbed. "Oh, Harry, what can we say? You saved Ginny... You saved Arthur… Now you've saved Ron…"

"Don't be... I didn't…" muttered Harry awkwardly.

"Half our family does seem to owe you their lives, now I stop and think about it," Mr. Weasley said in a constricted voice. "Well, all I can say is that it was a lucky day for the Weasley's when Ron decided to sit in your compartment on the Hogwarts Express Harry."

Harry was silent, but whether this was because he didn't know what to say or because Madam Pomfrey bustled over to remind them that there were only supposed to be seven visitors around Ron's bed was left undecided. Harry, Hermione, and Audrina rose at once to leave and Hagrid decided to go with them, leaving Ron with his family.

 **AN:** For Alan Rickman, the brilliant, brilliant man, who forever and always will be the most interesting and complex character I have had the delight of reading. Thank for portraying Snape in every way I had imagined him to be. Thank you for my childhood.


	29. Chapter 29

"It's terrible," growled Hagrid into his beard, as the four of them walked back along the corridor to the marble staircase. "All this new security, an kids are still gettin' hurt… Dumbledore's worried sick… He don' say much, but I can tell…" He shook his head.

"Hasn't he got any ideas, Hagrid?" asked Hermione desperately.

"I 'spect he's got hundreds of ideas, brain like his," Hagrid guessed. "But he doesn' know who sent that necklace nor put poison in that wine, or they'dve bin caught, wouldn they? Wha' worries me," said Hagrid, lowering his voice and glancing over his shoulder, "is how long Hogwarts can stay open if kids are bein' attacked. Chamber o' Secrets all over again, isn' it? There'll be panic, more parents takin their kids outta school, an nex' thing yeh know the board o' governors…" Hagrid stopped talking as the ghost of a long-haired woman drifted serenely past, then resumed in a hoarse whisper, "…the board o' governors'll be talkin about shuttin' us up fer good."

"Surely not?" said Hermione, looking worried.

"And what are they going to do, just send us all home?" Audrina demanded and he nodded.

"Gotta see it from their point o' view," said Hagrid heavily. "I mean, it's always bin a bit of a risk sendin a kid ter Hogwarts, hasn' it? Yer expect accidents, don' yeh, with hundreds of underage wizards all locked up tergether, but attempted murder, tha's different. 'S'no wonder Dumbledore's angry with Sn —" Hagrid stopped in his tracks, a familiar, guilty expression on what was visible of his face above his tangled black beard.

"What?" said Harry quickly. "Dumbledore's angry with Snape?"

"I never said tha'," said Hagrid, though his look of panic could not have been a bigger giveaway, except for his trying to get away from them. "Look at the time, it's gettin' on fer midnight, I need ter —"

"Hagrid, why is Dumbledore angry with Snape?" Harry asked loudly and Audrina smacked his arm, in case someone was listening in.

"Shhhh!" said Hagrid, looking both nervous and angry. "Don' shout stuff like that, Harry, d'yeh wan' me ter lose me job? Mind, I don' suppose yeh'd care, would yeh, not now yeh've given up Care of Mag—"

"Don't try and make me feel guilty, it wont work!" said Harry forcefully. "What's Snape done?"

"I dunno, Harry, I shouldn'ta heard it at all! I — well, I was comin' outta the forest the other evenin' an' I overheard 'em talking— well, arguin'. Didn't like ter draw attention to meself, so I sorta skulked an tried not ter listen, but it was a — well, a heated discussion an' it wasn' easy ter block it out."

"Well?" Harry urged him, as Hagrid shuffled his enormous feet uneasily. Audrina would have almost felt bad for Hagrid, if she wasn't so curious herself what he knew.

"Well — I jus' heard Snape sayin' Dumbledore took too much fer granted an maybe he — Snape — didn' wan' ter do it any more —"

"Do what?"

"I dunno, Harry, it sounded like Snape was feelin' a bit overworked, tha's all — anyway, Dumbledore told him flat out he'd agreed ter do it an' that was all there was to it. Pretty firm with him. An' then he said summat abou' Snape makin' investigations in his House, in Slytherin. Well, there's nothin' strange abou' that!" Hagrid added hastily, as Harry and Hermione exchanged looks full of meaning that caused her stomach to sink. "All the Heads o' Houses were asked ter look inter that necklace business —"

"Yeah, but Dumbledore's not having rows with the rest of them, is he?" said Harry.

"Look," Hagrid twisted his crossbow uncomfortably in his hands; there was a loud splintering sound and it snapped in two, making them jump. "I know what yeh're like abou' Snape, Harry, an' I don' want yeh ter go readin' more inter this than there is."

"Look out," said Hermione tersely. They turned just in time to see the shadow of Argus Filch looming over the wall behind them before the man himself turned the corner, hunchbacked, his jowls aquiver.

"Oho!" he wheezed. "Out of bed so late, this'll mean detention!"

"No it won', Filch," said Hagrid shortly. "They're with me, aren' they?"

"And what difference does that make?" asked Filch obnoxiously.

"I'm a ruddy teacher, aren' I, yeh sneakin' Squib!" said Hagrid, firing up at once. There was a nasty hissing noise as Filch swelled with fury; Mrs. Norris had arrived, unseen, and was twisting herself sinuously around Filch's skinny ankles. "Get goin," said Hagrid out of the corner of his mouth.

They did not need telling twice; they all hurried off; Hagrid's and Filch's raised voices echoed behind them as they ran. They passed Peeves near the turning into Gryffindor Tower, but he was streaking happily toward the source of the yelling, cackling and calling,

 _When there's strife and when there's trouble_

 _Call on Peevsie, he'll make double!_

The Fat Lady was snoozing and not pleased to be woken, but swung forward grumpily to allow them to clamber into the mercifully peaceful and empty common room.

"What a day." Hermione said wearily. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight." With a little wave, she headed up to the girls dormitory. Harry, however, remained behind, taking a seat beside the fire and looking down into the dying embers. Audrina sat next to him in total silence, both of them occupied.

She knew if she looked deeper into the nagging feeling that was her suspension that the attacks and Draco's behavior was linked, she would likely end up running through the castle, hollering for his head. But she was even more nervous that if she didn't try to sort things out with him, he would be the next person listed in the Daily Prophet as missing or dead.

"There you are, Potter!"

Harry jumped to his feet in shock, his wand at the ready and she followed suit immediately. The figure had been seated in a distant chair and as he drew closer, she saw that it was one Cormac McLaggen.

"Bloody hell." She muttered, slumping back down and trying to still her beating heart.

"I've been waiting for you to come back," said McLaggen, disregarding Harry's drawn wand as well as hers. "Must've fallen asleep. Look, I saw them taking Weasley up to the hospital wing earlier. Didn't look like he'll be fit for next week's match."

"Oh… Right… Quidditch," Harry said after a second, putting his wand back into the belt of his jeans and running a hand wearily through his hair. "Yeah... he might not make it."

"Well, then, I'll be playing Keeper, won't I?" said McLaggen with a smirk towards her.

"Yeah," said Harry. "Yeah, I suppose so..." She made a face and struggled not to groan. she couldn't fault Harry's logic; after all, McLaggen had certainly performed second best in the trials. That didn't mean she wasn't any less thrilled by the idea of having him at practices.

"Excellent," said McLaggen in a satisfied voice. "So when's practice?"

"What? Oh… There's one tomorrow evening." Harry admitted and she made a noise of disgruntlement. McLaggen either didn't hear it or ignored her entirely and plowed on with Harry.

"Good. Listen, Potter, we should have a talk beforehand. I've got some ideas on strategy you might find useful."

"Right," said Harry unenthusiastically. "Well, I'll hear them tomorrow, then. I'm pretty tired now... See you…" He positively sprinted away and McLaggen turned to her with a cocky grin.

"You wanna hear them, Audrina?" He asked, walking towards her with a little swagger. She raised her wand lazily.

"Take one more step towards me McLaggen and I'll swear to Merlin that riding a broom for the next year of your life with be damn impossible, if not highly uncomfortable." She promised. He slowly backed away and headed up the stairs, casting her a dirty look.

She sat curled up in the chair, staring into the flames, trying not to brood. She let herself entertain the idea of what she would say to Draco if she could, whether it would be about the kiss he gave her or the fact that she had heard him speaking to Snape.

She waited by the fire until Ginny arrived and they went to upstairs together, not saying anything, just wondering what the rest of this year could hold. She didn't even need to ask if they would sleep in the same bed; she curled up with her instantly.

"Rina." She nearly missed her name under all the noise of everyone packing up after potions class. She looked up and saw Draco hovering near her desk, eyeing the seat left vacant by Ron.

"Draco." She said quickly, spilling her quills in her fluster. He raised an eyebrow but swept them up and handed them back to her. His fingers grazed over hers and she jumped involuntarily.

"I wanted to see if… Weasley…" He struggled to say Ron's name without a sneer. "Was alright." She dropped the quills again, gawking at him.

"What?" She asked dumbly, unable to even comprehend what was he asking of me. "You're asking about Ron?"

"I heard he was in the Hospital Wing, I thought you'd know if he was alright." He said, mildly annoyed as he picked up her quills for a second time. She shook her head then nodded, still wondering if she was dreaming.

"He'll be okay, he's just out for a couple days, recovering." She said automatically, the cardboard answer that had rolled off her tongue for every student wanting to know why he was absent.

"Well, good." He said awkwardly. They fell in step, walking out together, climbing the stairs.

"Your common room is back there." She pointed out, as they climbed higher. He shrugged indifferently.

"Perhaps I wanted to walk with you." He said without looking at her and again the goose bumps erupted over her skin. She knew that heads were swinging towards them as they met the crowds of students trying to navigate the Grand Staircase but kept walking, not looking either way.

"Are you going to escort me all the way to my common room?" She asked lightly, as they jumped the trick step that had been her downfall days earlier. He pretended to mull it over.

"I don't fancy a beating today." He said carelessly. "So perhaps I shall leave you here." He said, pausing in a side alcove. She folded her arms and he smiled down at her, all knowing.

"Don't look smug. I'd let them beat you up, just for being a prat." She threatened and he cocked his head.

"Would you?" He asked then leaned down and kissed her until she was pressed against the wall, supported by his help alone. He drew back and looked at her, with her heaving chest and wide eyes. She was pleased to notice that he too was slightly dazed and unsteady.

"I would." She said, blowing a kiss as she walked off. She sat down in her bed and drew her knees up to her chest. She had two options. She could throw all caution to the wind and try to do what Dumbledore had wanted her to do all along, which was pursue Draco.

Or she could think of her family, her adopted family that loved her when her real family wouldn't, who had taken her in with no questions asked, fed her, loved her gave her a place to sleep. Would she be betraying everything they had given her if she did?

She glanced at the picture on her bedside, her tiny unborn sibling, still waving. She picked it up and bit her thumb. The only other picture on my bedside table was of Ginny, Hermione, Luna, and herself, the one Draco had sent her this summer. She set both pictures side by side and made up her mind.

She could do it. She had been born a Black and raised a Weasley. She could balance both. She would have to. She took a deep breath and touched her lips gently. She was going to have to make it work.

 _Dear Dairy,_

 _Sometimes it gets hard to remember that I'm just a tiny human in a tiny country on a tiny Earth. Astronomy has always been interesting to me, looking up into the big sky full of stars and thinking that it's comforting to know that my life will pass in the blink of an eye to the universe. It was nice to know that the things I messed up on would likely have no effects on the universe. But now I look up and I don't know if I can say that the stars remind me that I'm small. I don't feel small anymore. I feel huge. I feel like a huge chess piece on the board and suddenly I'm being moved around. My actions use to be tiny and meaningless. I flunked a Charms quiz or didn't do my Transfiguration homework and I thought my world was ending. Now I have to make sure I save someone. Someone that has the ability not to just change my little world but everyone else's as well. If I get through to Draco, who knows that will happen? The way Dumbledore talks about it, I know there's more here than a worry for his students. I'm a Black. I grew up in a household that flourished on secrets and hiding information from people. I grew up learning when someone was hiding things from me and he is no exception. I know this Draco thing is bigger than it seems. That makes it all the more important. And that makes it all the scarier. I liked when I felt tiny. When the stars made me smile because they were bright and far away. When I didn't feel like any mistake I might make would send my world crashing down around me. Now my mistakes might cost me the people I love because my world is at war._

 _-_ _Audrina Carona Black_

 **AN:** Please let me know what you think, thanks for reading!


	30. Chapter 30

She sat in the Great Hall, absentmindedly eating her food. Most of her attention was directed towards the Slytherin table. Draco was squashed between the hulking frames of Crabbe and Goyle, his back to the wall. Blaise was sitting across from him, as was Pansy and she was pleased to see how little attention he was minding her.

"What are you staring at?" Fallon asked, sitting next to her. She scooted over to make room.

"What are you doing here?" Audrina responded in surprise. Fallon sighed and rested her head on Audrina's shoulder.

"I know, I'm sorry. I've just been so busy lately. I never thought prefect duty would take up this much time." She apologized.

"It's alright, I'm busy with Quidditch too. Who would have thought we'd hardly see each other?" She commented and she nodded.

"I just wanted to make sure everything is fine with you. Catch up for a second." She said with a smile and Audrina smiled back. It was true that she hadn't seen Fallon as much lately but as she launched into a rant about how Jace had been continually switching her textbooks around, she tuned her out. Draco and Pansy stood up at the same time.

She stood up and noticed Fallon was looking at her in confusion. She bit her lip then patted her head, looking up as Draco spoke to Pansy, looking more and more annoyed.

"I'm sorry. I have to go." She told Fallon and her confusion only deepened. She opened her mouth and shut it, shaking her head and rushing after Draco. She followed him to the Grand Staircase, where he was having a row with Pansy, gesturing furiously.

"Draco…" She purred, trying to rub his arm. He smacked her hand away with a groan.

"I told you it's over, Pansy. Why not go bother Blaise or maybe Goyle? At least they'd show interest in you." He sneered.

"How can I ever be over with us, Draco? We have so much history." She insisted and Draco rolled his eyes, glancing up to spot Audrina.

"Yeah, history." He said with a small smile. He brushed past Pansy and approached Audrina. She leaned against a banister, arms folded, grinning. "What are you doing?" He asked her.

"Saw you having a tiff with good ol' pig face here, thought I'd might as well rescue you since I've got nothing better to do with my night." She said cheerfully, ignoring Pansy's enraged yell.

"Who says I need rescuing?" He demanded and she looked over her shoulder at a fuming Pansy. "I think you're the one in need of a rescue." He said with a smirk and she grabbed his hand and pulled him up the stairs.

They fell into a classroom, laughing and out of breath from their run. She sat on the desk, head in her hands, trying to catch her breath. He sat down next to her, still snorting with laughter.

"She's probably going to hex me tomorrow." She commented and he broke down in fresh laughter.

"Probably." He admitted. "But you're faster than her. Plus, I don't think she's forgotten the slug incident." She grinned at the memory.

"I count on my reputation preceding me and scaring everyone enough to not challenge me." She informed him.

"It doesn't work with me." He said proudly.

"That's cause you're scared I'll tell everyone that when you were seven you cried for three weeks about me ruining your favorite blanket." She reminded him with a smug look and he picked her up, spinning her around until she was over his shoulder, squealing.

"You wouldn't dare." He said confidently.

"Oh, I would." She promised, breathless as he set her down. "And I could tell them that when you were five you broke my toy broomstick or about when you were eight and pushed me down the stairs cause I told you that your hair looked funny or-"

"I get it, I get it." He said, cutting her off while she grinned. "You have secrets on me." Her stomach twisted unpleasantly as the thought that she knew more than she should crossed her mind but he was already leaning in and kissing her. She responded in kind.

"Draco." She said breathlessly, pushing him away from her gently. He drew back, cheeks pink and hair ruffled. "Are we doing this?" She asked quietly and he gave her a confused look.

"Yes, Rina, I am kissing you, if you haven't been paying attention the last couple minutes." He said sarcastically and she punched him in the shoulder. He pretended to be wounded.

"You know what I mean." She accused him. He leaned back and folded his arms, watching her.

"Enlighten me." He said quietly and she suddenly felt the rush of nervousness. She took a deep breath and twisted her hair behind her ears, palms sweaty. Draco didn't react, just kept observing her.

"You know, this. Are we going to keep sneaking around and kissing each other in abandoned classrooms after supper until someone walks in on us? Or until we leave for this summer and I suddenly return home on your arm and my entire family forgives me? Are we going to make this work? Do you even want to try?" She asked desperately.

He stared at her, not a single emotion crossing his face. He was calm and almost indifferent. Her heart sunk as she recalled Pansy in the Great Hall, how he left her side with no hesitation. She had over stepped her boundaries and she had pushed him into something he wasn't ready for.

"Do you remember when you were four and you went running off into the woods by your house? It was raining and you were in a foul mood. I made you mad about something stupid and you just took off, straight into the woods. I thought our mothers would kill me, they were so furious with me. We looked for you for hours, every last servant you had. Do you remember where I found you?" He asked quietly.

"I had fallen asleep in a cave." She said slowly, remembering vaguely that day and the cold rain that had seeped through her clothes.

"I thought you were dead. I thought I'd lost you and I cried for so long, even after the healer came and said you were just fine. I sat there and cried. That's the moment when I realized that if there is no you, then there is no me. I didn't want to lose you. And then I did." He said and his voice broke. She went to reach for him but stopped herself, unsure if he wanted her.

"You didn't lose me. I'm right here." She said softly and gently reached up, touching his cheek. He leaned into the touch, closing his eyes.

"So when you ask if I want this, if I want you, I want you to know that I've wanted this since I was five years old and sobbing in a cave over you." He said and she flung herself into him, she was so relieved.

* * *

And there began a month of flustered moments caught between classes, dodging friends, classmates, and fellow house members. Moments that they stole together.

She dragged Draco into a broom cupboard, pulling him down to her, stretching up onto her tiptoes to get the kiss she'd been waiting all day for.

He tossed her supplies from the potions closet easily, hardly glancing at her but his leg brushed against her own and made her jump.

He cornered her in an empty classroom, backing her into a corner, putting his hands on either side on her face with a wicked glint in his eyes. She grinned up, already breathing heavy.

She hid behind a large suit of armor as Blaise questioned Draco suspiciously why he was "lurking around in a hallway right before bed", trying her hardest not to giggle at Draco's straggled remarks.

Ginny eyed her skeptically as she sat down next to her in the library, face flushed and hair quickly tied in a knot on the top of her head. She took a deep breath and looked at her.

"What?" She asked, confused.

"You forgot the book that you went to get. Fifteen minutes ago." She pointed out dryly.

"I… Couldn't find it?" She made up desperately. She shook her head and muttered something about 'quit lurking in the shadows' and 'come out with it already' but bent her head over her homework once more.

 _Dear Dairy,_

 _I've had a lot of dreams since I was a little girl. When I was really little I wanted to be a ballerina. Who didn't? They get to wear tiaras and pretty skirts and they glide over the stage and don't need any magic to do so. Then I got a little older and got my first toy broomstick. That was love at first sight. Of course, I couldn't fly any higher than my father's knee and barely went faster than walking speed but still, I was flying and no one could stop me. I wanted to be a Quidditch player and now I am. Of course, if four year old me knew that I would have to practice in snow, rain, hail, wind, and what I'm fairly convinced was a tornado, maybe I would have reconsidered deciding to join my house team. I just find it ironic it that when I was younger I didn't dream of marrying Draco and now I can't help myself. I don't mean to. I know I'm only 15 and I'm in school. He's on the side that wants to kill my best friend and her family. My family? My friends, my classmates, and the people I love. But it doesn't mean that sometimes I let my thoughts wander… What it'd be like to wake up in the morning and have him sitting at the kitchen table, tea on the stove, reading the paper. It's a silly daydream but it's the one I find myself slipping into more and more. The worst part about it all is that I know it's nothing more than a dream. For us to be able to wake up next to each other would mean this war is over and somehow we both made it out and he wasn't imprisoned for being a Death Eater. I think the girl that dreamed of being a ballerina would like to marry Draco. I just wish I could warn her of what it would cost her._

 _-_ _Audrina Carona Black_

 **AN:** Sorry it's short, but please review!


	31. Chapter 31

She stood next to Ginny, broom shouldered, impatiently checking the clock as it ticked closer to game time.

"Where is he?" Ginny demanded, angry.

"He's a captain, he won't be late." Demelza reassured her and Ginny gave her a death look.

"Where have you been?" demanded Ginny, as Harry sprinted into the changing rooms.

"I met Malfoy," Harry told her quietly, as he pulled his scarlet robes over his head. "So I wanted to know how come he's up at the castle with a couple of girlfriends while everyone else is down here..."

"What?" Audrina said sharply and Ginny gave her an odd look then turned back to Harry, still furious.

"Does it matter right now?"

"Well, I'm not likely to find out, am I?" said Harry, seizing his Firebolt and pushing his glasses straight. "Come on then!" And without another word, they marched out onto the pitch to deafening cheers and boos. There was little wind; the clouds were patchy; every now and then there were dazzling flashes of bright sunlight.

"Tricky conditions!" McLaggen said bracingly to them all. "Coote, Peakes, you'll want to fly out of the sun, so they don't see you coming —"

"I'm the Captain, McLaggen, shut up giving them instructions," said Harry angrily. "Just get up by the goal posts!"

"Does he seem touchy to you?" Audrina asked Ginny. She kicked off, forcing her to follow.

"Since when do you care about Malfoy having girlfriends?" She pointed out, not looking at her.

"When did he become Malfoy again?" She shot back then they separated to them spots. Demelza gave them both odd looks, and then the whistle blew, signaling the beginning of the match.

"And that's Smith of Hufflepuff with the Quaffle," said a dreamy voice, echoing over the grounds. "He did the commentary last time, of course, and Ginny Weasley flew into him, I think probably on purpose, it looked like it. Smith was being quite rude about Gryffindor, I expect he regrets that now he's playing them — oh, look, he's lost the Quaffle, Ginny took it from him, I do like her, she's very nice..."

Audrina gave a shout of laughter at Luna's commentary. Ginny had indeed smashed into Smith perhaps a littler harder than she needed to, but it was rather justified and she had gotten the Quaffle.

"…but now that big Hufflepuff player's got the Quaffle from her, I can't remember his name, it's something like Bibble — no, Buggins —"

"It's Cadwallader!" said Professor McGonagall loudly from beside Luna. The crowd laughed. Moments later, Cadwallader scored. McLaggen had been shouting criticism at Ginny for allowing the Quaffle out of her possession, with the result that he had not noticed the large red ball soaring past his right ear. Ginny streaked past her, furious.

"Go get the Quaffle!" She screamed at her and Audrina raised her eyebrow, chasing after Smith.

"McLaggen, will you pay attention to what you're supposed to be doing and leave everyone else alone!" bellowed Harry.

"You're not setting a great example!" McLaggen shouted back, red-faced and furious.

"And Harry Potter's now having an argument with his Keeper," said Luna serenely, while both Hufflepuffs and Slytherins below in the crowd cheered and jeered. "I don't think that'll help him find the Snitch, but maybe it's a clever ruse…."

Ginny and Demelza scored a goal apiece, giving the red-and-gold-clad supporters below something to cheer about. Then Cadwallader scored again, making things level, but Luna did not seem to have noticed; she appeared singularly uninterested in such mundane things as the score, and kept attempting to draw the crowd's attention to such things as interestingly shaped clouds and the possibility that Zacharias Smith, who had so far failed to maintain possession of the Quaffle for longer than a minute, was suffering from something called "Loser's Lurgy."

"Seventy-forty to Hufflepuff!" barked Professor McGonagall into Luna's megaphone.

"Is it, already?" said Luna vaguely. "Oh, look! The Gryffindor Keeper's got hold of one of the Beater's bats."

Nearly everyone on his or her broom spun around in midair. Sure enough, McLaggen, for reasons best known to himself, had pulled Peakes's bat from him and appeared to be demonstrating how to hit a Bludger toward an oncoming Cadwallader.

"Will you give him back his bat and get back to the goal posts!" roared Harry, pelting toward McLaggen just as McLaggen took a ferocious swipe at the Bludger and mishit it. In horror they all watched as it struck Harry in the back of his head and he spiraled downwards.

The rest of the match was downhill from there. Hufflepuff steamrolled over McLaggen and even with Ginny, Demelza, and Audrina doing their best, when the Snitch was finally caught Hufflepuff emerged victorious.

Audrina pulled a furious Ginny off of McLaggen, but left him to be battered by both Beaters. Demelza and Audrina dragged Ginny to the locker room where they convinced her that murdering McLaggen would be handy but not the best course of action and that visiting Harry in the Hospital Wing was a better idea. She stomped off, fuming.

By the time Audrina changed and had gotten over the humiliation of losing to Hufflepuff it was time to trek up to the castle with Demelza, who was similarly subdued. In the common room they found Ginny screaming herself hoarse at Dean, who had apparently been laughing about Harry.

Audrina snuck by her gingerly, not feeling the least bit sorry for Dean's thunderstruck face. When she finally crawled into bed, a light tapping on the window startled her from her dozing. She got up with a groan and opened the window so Vulcan could flap his way in, sticking his leg towards her. She unrolled the note.

 _Rina-_

 _Portions classroom. Now._

 _-Drake_

She raised an eyebrow at the demand but blearily put on her robe and snuck back through the common room and out, heading down what felt like endless flights of stairs to the dungeons. She pushed the door open and was stopped in her tracks at the sight of him sitting on a desk, head in hands.

"Draco…" She said quietly, approaching him slowly. He looked up but didn't say anything, just opened his arms to enfold her in them. She stayed tucked against his chest for a long time, just listening to his heartbeat.

"I need to show you something and it has to be now." He said finally, his voice barely audible.

"What?" She asked, drawing back. He gave her a long kiss to the forehead then a quick one on the nose. She stared at him. This amount of affection was unheard of from him. He slowed rolled his sleeve up and she kept her chin up, refusing to look down. "Draco." She said, voice wavering.

"I need you to see it. I need you to know." He said urgently, his hand trembling as he reached up and gently tugged her face down. She closed her eyes, tears slipping through her eyelids. When she opened them, she saw they had fallen on his Dark Mark, a slithering tattoo on his forearm.

"No." She whispered, not bothering to wipe away her tears. They felt hot and salty on her skin but she couldn't get her brain to tell her hands to touch her face so they stayed there. Draco's hand twitched as though he would wipe them for her but instead he took another breath.

"If you're going to change your mind, walk away now. Before I love you." He said lowly and she felt the tears thicken. She dove her face into his shoulder and stayed there, sobbing.

She cried for the little boy she had loved a lifetime ago, who pushed her off her broomstick and laughed, who pelted her with sweets, and stole her presents at Christmas with no remorse.

She cried for the boy who had loved her, who had taken her hand and dragged her to and fro. The boy who had talked her parents into sending her to school with him so he could continue to be her best friend.

She cried for the man she loved now. She wished she could pull his sleeve back up and everything would be normal. She wished she could go back to calling him Malfoy and listening to Harry complain about him without thinking about dashing off somewhere to kiss him.

And she cried for herself, for the fact that she was totally in love with a Death Eater and that went against all she had tried to teach herself in the past five years. She cried because she would stay, until the end of time.

 _Dear Dairy,_

 _He's a Death Eater. I think that I've known, I've known for a very long time. So why should it be such a surprise now? Why does it hurt to know that he's got a tattoo on his arm and that he'll never going to roll up the sleeves of a shirt without all of my friends flinching? Maybe now it's real. Before I could pretend not to know, to keep it at a distance. I think a part of me believed he would never allow something like that to be put on his skin. He would never let himself receive the Dark Mark and now… He's a Death Eater and he will never be able to say he was simply doing as his family wished. He's a full-fledged Death Eater and he's got the mark to prove it. Harry was right. I wish I could say he was wrong; to look at him and laugh the next time he brings up the 'Malfoy is a Death Eater' theory. Now I can't. Because he's a Death Eater. And who am I? The girl who loves him? I want to be more. The girl who changes him. Helps him. Fixes him. Makes him smile and laugh. But here we are, here I am. In love with a man that bears the marking of the most evil man in the world. I wish I could go back and take that damn mark off him. Because now he's not the Draco I grew up with. He's different. He's dangerous. He's a Death Eater._

 _-_ _Audrina Carona Black_

If Ginny noticed anything was wrong with her the next couple days, she didn't say anything. She suspected it was because her and Dean now couldn't get through a day without fighting with one another, but thankfully that made it easier for her to slip away and spend more time with Draco.

"Where are you going?" A playful voice called after her and she froze, fingers inches from the handle to a classroom. She looked up and forced herself to smile, taking a step back.

"Hi Jace. Just, uh, looking for a quiet place to get some homework done." She said and he rolled his eyes, slinging his arm around her shoulders and pulling her away.

"Who does homework when we're playing you in Quidditch so soon?" He teased. "I mean, if your team can ever overcome that loss to Hufflepuff." She gasped and smacked his chest.

"You know we only lost because McLaggen is a egotistical idiot who knocked Harry out!" She protested, firing up at once. Jace just laughed and kept pulling her away from the classroom where Draco was waiting.

"Rin, Rin dear, what are we going to do? It's spring and we haven't done anything since the slugs." He lamented and she steered them towards a stone bench below a window, wondering how she could talk herself out of this.

"Well have you talked to Seamus? He had some good ideas." She said desperately and Jace waved a hand.

"Seamus is a right bloke but he doesn't quite have the touch that you do." He complimented and she smiled, pleased.

"Flattery won't work but it is a start. Let me have a day or two to think. I'll get back to you before the match." She promised and patted his cheek. "But I do have to study!" She insisted, getting up and dashing down the hall.

"You don't even have any books!" He pointed out in bewilderment as she pulled the door open and slid inside. Draco was lounging against the wall. He raised his eyebrows.

"We need somewhere safer." She commented.

"You need to be less conspicuous." He recommended and she shot him a dirty look, sitting next to him.

 **AN:** Short chapter (sorry!) Let me know what you think pretty please!


	32. Chapter 32

Sneaking away to see him got more difficult daily. Once a first year wandered down a barely used hallway they were lingering in and she had just enough time to shove Draco through a door pretending to be a wall before giving the boy directions back to his Charms classroom.

Though their time was short, it wasn't wasted. After fiercely snogging each other, they would talk about home, or what was home for him. They didn't delve much into her life but there was also an unspoken agreement not to mention the mark on his arm and what came with it.

She took a deep breath in front of the blank stretch of wall, braiding her hair back as she paced.

 _I need a place to hide. I need a place to hide with Draco. I need a place that's hiding Draco._

When she looked up the door had emerged and she yanked it open. Draco was waiting on an overstuffed couch and she sat next to him, sighing.

"Long day?" He asked and she nodded, rubbing her eyes. "Why, what happened?" He asked tenderly.

"I swear the professors are giving us more homework than ever. It doesn't matter that we're trying to prepare for O.W.L.s. And Harry has doubled practices, which we need, but it's getting harder and harder to deal with. I'm just exhausted constantly." She groaned and his fingers found her shoulders and went to work massaging the knots out.

"Does Potter think he has a chance of winning the Cup?" He sneered quietly and she tensed up.

"I think we have a great chance, thank you." She said hotly and he was quiet, just kneading her shoulders. "I know you don't love my house but you have to remember that's where I'm from." She said quietly a while later.

"You should remember that's not where you're from." He pointed out calmly and she twisted around to look at him.

"Where am I from then?" She asked him and he shrugged.

"A mansion on the side of the lake in the South of England. A little girl who spoke French to me when she was angry because she grew up so close to the France her mother didn't want to leave. Do you remember that place?" He asked her casually and she shut her eyes to block out the memories of it.

"I spent more time at a certain manor to remember much of my home." She said from between gritted teeth.

"Well then you're from there, aren't you my dear Rina?" He decided and before she could protest anything he reached down and kissed her before getting up and leaving her behind speechless.

* * *

It was late Sunday evening as she snuck back into the common room, trying to smooth her hair back into something that resembled neatness. She froze when she spotted Harry, Hermione, and Ron sitting by the fireplace, along with two house elves she recognized as Dobby and Kreacher.

"Yeah, we don't need to hear about you being in love with Malfoy," Harry was telling Kreacher, who thankfully hadn't spotted her. Dobby was a different story. He was looking at her with his large eyes and she frantically shook her head. "Let's fast forward to where he's actually been going."

Kreacher bowed again, looking furious, and then said, "Master Malfoy eats in the Great Hall, he sleeps in a dormitory in the dungeons, he attends his classes in a variety of—"

"Dobby, you tell me," said Harry, cutting across Kreacher. "Has he been going anywhere he shouldn't have?"

"Harry Potter, sir," squeaked Dobby, turning his attention back to Harry, "the Malfoy boy is breaking no rules that Dobby can discover, but he is still keen to avoid detection. He spends a lot of time with ––" She shook her head, motioning for Dobby to keep quiet and he got the hint, continuing with, "Friends. He has been making regular visits to the seventh floor with a variety of other students, who keep watch for him while he enters —"

"The Room of Requirement!" said Harry, as she sagged in relief. "That's where he's been sneaking off to! That's where he's doing… whatever he's doing! And I bet that's why he's been disappearing off the map — come to think of it, I've never seen the Room of Requirement on there!"

"Maybe the Marauders never knew the room was there," said Ron and she inched closer, trying to stay out of Kreacher's sight, least he bemoan that she was a blood traitor to the whole Black line, like Sirius.

"I think it'll be part of the magic of the room," said Hermione. "If you need it to be unplottable, it will be."

"Dobby, have you managed to get in to have a look at what Malfoy's doing?" said Harry eagerly.

"No, Harry Potter, that is impossible," said Dobby, his eyes fixed on her as she continued listening, finger to her lips.

"No, it's not," said Harry at once. "Malfoy got into our headquarters there last year, so I'll be able to get in and spy on him, no problem."

"But I don't think you will, Harry," said Hermione slowly. "Malfoy already knew exactly how we were using the room, didn't he, because that stupid Marietta had blabbed. He needed the room to become the headquarters of the D.A., so it did. But you don't know what the room becomes when Malfoy goes in there, so you don't know what to ask it to transform into."

"There'll be a way around that," said Harry dismissively. "You've done brilliantly, Dobby."

"Kreacher has done well too," said Hermione kindly; but far from looking grateful, Kreacher averted his huge, bloodshot eyes upwards and croaked at the ceiling,

"The Mudblood is speaking to Kreacher, Kreacher will pretend he cannot hear her—"

"Get out of it," Harry snapped at him, and Kreacher made one last deep bow and Disapparated. "You'd better go and get some sleep too, Dobby."

"Thank you, Harry Potter, sir!" squeaked Dobby happily, and he too vanished with one last significant glance at her.

"How good is this?" said Harry enthusiastically, turning to Ron and Hermione and I ducked behind the couch. "We know where Malfoy's going! We've got him cornered now!"

"Yeah, it's great," said Ron glumly.

"But what's all this about him going up there with a variety of students'?" said Hermione. "How many people are in on it? You wouldn't think he'd trust lots of them to know what he's doing-"

"Yeah, that is weird," said Harry, sounding unsure. "I heard him telling Crabbe it wasn't Crabbe's business what he was doing... so what's he telling all these... all these..." Harry's voice tailed away. "God, I've been stupid," he said quietly. "Its obvious, isn't it? There was a great vat of it down in the dungeon… He could've nicked some any time during that lesson…"

"Nicked what?" said Ron and she knew what Harry would say before he did. She too remembered the great cauldron of a brown, foul potion.

"Polyjuice Potion. He stole some of the Polyjuice Potion Slughorn showed us in our first Potions lesson… There aren't a whole variety of students standing guard for Malfoy… it's just Crabbe and Goyle as usual. …Yeah, it all fits!" said Harry, jumping up and starting to pace in front of the fire. "They're stupid enough to do what they're told even if he won't tell them what he's up to, but he doesn't want them to be seen lurking around outside the Room of Requirement, so he's got them taking Polyjuice to make them look like other people… Those two girls I saw him with when he missed Quidditch — ha! Crabbe and Goyle!"

"Do you mean to say," said Hermione in a hushed voice, "that that little girl whose scales I repaired—?"

"Yeah, of course!" said Harry loudly. "Of course! Malfoy must've been inside the room at the time, so she — what am I talking about? — He dropped the scales to tell Malfoy not to come out, because there was someone there! And there was that girl who dropped the toadspawn too! We've been walking past him all the time and not realizing it!"

"He's got Crabbe and Goyle transforming into girls?" guffawed Ron. "Blimey… no wonder they don't look too happy these days. I'm surprised they don't tell him to stuff it."

"Well, they wouldn't, would they, if he's shown them his Dark Mark?" said Harry and she closed her eyes, slumping against the couch.

"Hmmm... The Dark Mark we don't know exists," said Hermione skeptically and Audrina wished she could have that doubt.

"We'll see." Said Harry confidently. She crawled away and hurried into her dorm, landing on her bed scant seconds before Hermione entered.

"Where were you?" She asked suspiciously and Audrina raised her eyebrows.

"I've been here the entire time, I swear." She said innocently and she rolled her eyes at her.

"Don't sound so harmless. If you're planning a prank with Jace, I'd like to know." She said sternly and Audrina just smiled brilliantly.

"No, but he reminded me that I really should." She said thoughtfully. "A big one, fit for the twin's birthday." Hermione just huffed and went to get ready for bed, grumbling.

 **AN:** Sorry it's so short, I promise the chapters will get longer from here. Thanks for reading, please review!


	33. Chapter 33

She sat in the library with Fallon, doodling on the corner of her Ancient Ruins essay, having finished hers seconds earlier. Fallon was already studying for her O.W.L.S but Audrina was on Jace and Adam's side; they had plenty of time before exams. Ginny was somewhere with Dean, though she hadn't seem very thrilled at the idea when she left.

"Jace." Audrina hissed, waking him up from deep slumber on top of a stack of books. He sat up, hair tousled. She noticed a knot of third years staring longingly at him and rolled her eyes. "Jace!" She repeated and he finally opened his eyes, giving her a dirty look.

"I was dreaming that several very lovely witches were praising me for taking down three Death Eaters at once so you better have a good reason for waking me up." He informed her and she simply pointed at a large calendar.

"We have less than a week until Fred and George's birthday." She reminded him and he looked thoughtful.

"No." Fallon said firmly.

"No to what?" Adam asked, arriving at their table with his arms loaded down with books.

"Anything. Everything." Fallon said, not looking up from her essay. "Whatever you plan."

"You're just mad because I got slugs in your hair." Jace said dismissively then easily ducked the smack she aimed at his head.

"Can I help?" Millie asked, leaving her group of friends and sitting next to Adam. Audrina beamed at her.

"Of course. Any ideas?" Audrina asked and Millie thoughtfully piled her hair on top of her head then reached for a black roll of parchment and started sketching on it, tongue between her teeth. After a couple minutes, she pushed it towards her with a triumphant smile.

"There ya go." She said smugly, sitting back and folding her arms. Jace leaned over Audrina's shoulder as her examined her drawing. It was divided in four sections, with the heading G, R, H, and S above one.

The R clearly stood for Ravenclaw, as the drawing depicted a group of students, all with legs sunk into steps leading to their tower. The H was Hufflepuff and showed them getting dumped with copious amounts of some liquid by the barrels above their common room. The S portion couldn't seem to climb the stairs out of the dungeons as the stairs turned into a slide. The G had a big question mark underneath it.

"What's that?" Jace asked, pointing to it. Millie shrugged.

"I can't prank myself. I figured you would have to come up with that one." She explained and Audrina nodded slowly. Jace leaned back and tapped his fingertips, deep in thought.

"I like how you're turning bits of the castle against the houses…" He said, scribbling things down then scratching them out. "So how do we turn Hogwarts against Gryffindor?"

"We could pull a Lupin." Adam suggested from behind a giant book, not looking at them.

"What's a Lupin?" Millie asked, confused, while Jace and Audrina looked at Adam in astonishment.

"Our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor our second year. His final exam was an obstacle course of sorts." Fallon explained as Jace got up and went one way as Audrina went the other.

"From what I'm reading, the spell for turning the stairs into a slide must be a version of _Glisseo_ but I'm not sure how to make sure it can be sustained for long amounts of time." She said aloud to Jace, who was also buried in a book. He nodded in agreement.

"Same for the stairs. I'm reading how my lovely founder did it and am getting some interesting results." He said then jotted something down again. "I'll do this and your hallway, you handle Slytherin and Hufflepuff's barrels, yeah?" He suggested and she nodded, sliding down the bookshelf and plucking yet another book from it's dusty shelf.

* * *

"I sent a letter to the twins." She said lowly, leaning over Jace's shoulder at supper, pretending to pick a roll from his plate.

"And?" He said quietly, continuing to eat his food without even glancing up at her.

"They'll have sent us the swamp by tomorrow morning mail." She said then turned and walked away. Nothing more needed to be said. Fallon eyed her suspiciously but said nothing. She sat next to Millie, who shoved a book under her nose triumphantly.

"HA!" She said and Audrina took the book, searching through the paragraphs until she hit was she was so excited about.

"A refilling spell, once enchanted, will fill the barrels up with liquid that can be poured on an inspecting passerby who triggers the spell." She read aloud and Ginny darted over to them, leaning over.

"What's that?" She asked curiously and Audrina gave her a dirty look.

"A prank, if you'd be so kind to join us, if you want to pull yourself away from Dean." She said, somewhat harshly.

"Gladly." She said hastily, talking the book and reading through it. Audrina raised her eyebrows then grinned.

"Mills, catch her up. I have to go scout out the stairs." She said and left, wondering how she was going to get the large staircase to stay as a slide like they did in the dorms.

At breakfast, a large package plopped down in front of her and she picked it up, delighted.

"Is that it?" Jace asked, materializing out of nowhere and grabbing it excitedly. She nodded happily.

"Cost me all my favors I had from them but I have a feeling they'll deliver." She said, as Jace hid it under his robes so he would be able to sneak it out of the Great Hall without questions.

"Is that it?" Ginny asked, arriving with Millie.

"It is." Audrina confirmed. "What's that?" She asked, pointing to a small slip of paper in her hand.

"Prefect schedule. Nicked it from Hermione's drawer. Shows who's going to be patrolling the corridors and when. Thought it could be useful since we're going to be setting everything up in the dead of the night Monday." She pointed out and Audrina raised her eyebrows. "I like pranking just as much of you, I just don't get much of an opportunity." Ginny said defensively.

"That's why I'm never getting a boyfriend." Millie said decisively and Audrina patted her head.

"Good plan. All right, you two will head off and get the barrels ready for Hufflepuff. That'll be the easiest- you can use the secret passages to get there and hide in the kitchens if anyone comes around." She decided.

"I can do the stairs to Ravenclaw as I go back to my common room after I set up your hallway. I'll need a copy of that list though." Jace told Ginny and after duplicating the paper, passed it to him.

"That leaves the stairs to me." Audrina said slowly. She knew this was the most dangerous job- despite all of her knowledge of the castle and the secret passages it possessed, few led that way and none went deep enough to get her to the dungeons unseen.

"Could you use Harry's cloak?" Ginny suggested and Audrina made a face. It would be handy.

"I'll need a good excuse to get it away from him." She said thoughtfully and Ginny patted her on the back.

"I have faith. Meet outside our common room tomorrow night, around midnight?" She suggested and they all checked their papers.

"Good, Mcmillan will have just passed and Patil won't be around for a good hour. Is that enough time Jace?" She asked and he nodded.

"I could ask Fallon to switch nights with her, just to give us extra breathing room." He suggested.

"If you can swing it, that would be great." Audrina agreed, nodding. "Who's patrolling the dungeons at that time?" She asked, looking at slip.

"Slughorn." Ginny said, making a face.

"Oh, I'll bring a pint and talk him out of it." Audrina said dismissively. "Are we all ready?" She asked and they all nodded. "Tomorrow night then."

 **AN:** Doing my best to make the twins proud with this prank. Please leave me reviews and let me know what you think!


	34. Chapter 34

Monday went by agonizingly slow as classes dragged on. She breezed through her homework easily, hardly checking to see if her answers were right. Ginny, Millie, and her all spent the afternoon with noses buried in their books, repeating what spells they would need. When Millie decided to go to bed, Audrina noticed her pale and set face with amusement.

"Go get the cloak now." Ginny muttered, as Harry and Ron got up, walking up to their dorms. Audrina got up and followed hastily.

"Harry!" She said loudly, before they entered their room.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Can I borrow your cloak?" She asked.

"Why?" Harry asked curiously.

"I need it to sneak out of detention, and come back here." She invented quickly and Harry looked surprised.

"Why are you in detention?" Ron asked. She frowned.

"When asked who I idolize, 'Dumbledore' or 'Harry Potter' is appropriate. Not 'Peeves' or 'Fred and George Weasley'." She informed them and Ron laughed, but Harry only looked embarrassed. She sensed that was the only reason he gave her the cloak. She walked into her dorm room triumphantly.

"Get some sleep." Ginny ordered, but her stomach was too busy jiggling with nerves to do anything but lie awake in excitement. When midnight rolled around, Audrina roused her then gathered Millie at the top of the stairs and they snuck out under the cloak, past the other students still studying in the common room. They had to wait only moments before Jace emerged from the darkness, eyes wild.

"Ready?" He asked quietly, pulling the package out of his bag.

"Take care of her." Audrina ordered Ginny, pointing to Millie. She nodded and pulled a painting open, guiding Millie into it. She smiled proudly. "Good luck." She whispered to Jace.

"Hurry back. I won't finish it until you are all back." He informed her and she nodded, hurrying off down the stairs. She was thankful for the cloak- she encountered several professors and even what she assumed was an Auror. She mourned for all the pranks that she might have performed had security on the castle not been so tight. After a couple more close encounters, she arrived at the stairs unscathed and tossed the cloak over a suit of armor, rolling up her sleeves and pulling out her wand.

The spell had to be applied several times, to each stair, specifying what would make it change. She knew there would be no way the charm would last thousands of years like it had in their dorms but hoped it would hold at least for half a day or more.

She stood at the top of the stairs and looked down with pride and exhaustion. It was nearly one and she remembered Jace's warning that he could only finish the course if she was back. She threw the cloak around herself and hurried away, nearly running headlong into the people patrolling the corridors.

"Is it done?" She asked Jace, ripping the cloak off.

"Almost, hurry inside." He said and she took a second to appreciate the large swamp filling the hallway.

"Are Ginny and Millie back?" She asked, hanging halfway out the portrait hole, as the Fat Lady fussed about them being out of bed.

"Yes, now get inside!" Jace said, annoyance tingeing his tone and she felt it best to comply. Ginny and Millie were waiting for her in the common room, faces flushed. Nothing was said; they just nodded to each other and went to bed. She fell asleep instantly.

* * *

Breakfast was madness. Ginny, Millie, and Audrina battled through the swamp with relative ease- the key was to just plunge through without hesitating. Other Gryffindor students emerged covered in mud and gunk, scratches on their hands, and tangled hair. The Hufflepuff table reeked of stale onions, from the concoction Ginny had stewed up.

Ravenclaws were laughing; having avoided harm thus far, while the entire Slytherin table was nonexistent. Upon further inspection almost the entire house was found at the bottom of the stairs, which turned into a slide the second anyone put a foot on it.

Any Ravenclaw that went back to their common room before class mysteriously didn't return and that became the trend over the day. Students refused to go back to common rooms and if they did, refused to leave. Lesson where slimmed down to fewer than a dozen students. Professors tried all that they could but couldn't get the stairs to comply.

McGonagall took one look at the swamp and sought Audrina out, her mouth opening and closing in wordless fury.

"How." She finally got out and Audrina smiled at her, flicking the last bit of mud off her robes.

"I'll tell you Professor, it wasn't easy. And while I may fail my Charms exam, I certainly think this was a better use of my time." She said politely, watching at Professor Sprout entered the Great Hall, soaking wet.

"Who else?" She asked wearily and Audrina just shrugged. McGonagall looked at her, amused. "You know, Audrina, had you been born three different ways, you might've changed the world."

What?" She asked stubbornly, expecting a lecture. "Polite, quiet, and ladylike?" She let out a surprised chuckle.

"No. Muggle, man, and several hundred years ago." Audrina looked at her, astounded that she was praising her.

"What?"

"You'd have taken over the world." Audrina thought about it then shrugged. "I'll round up Weasley, King, and who's that little girl you spend so much time with?" She asked then snapped her fingers. "Meliflua. And you succeeded, class are cancelled for the rest of the day, until we can clean the swamp and the barrels up and fix the stairs."

"Good luck!" She called, as she left, gathering all the professors.

"You got class cancelled." Ron said in awe, as she entered the common room and pulled a twig from her hair.

"Don't look so impressed, I helped." Ginny informed him, playing Exploding Snap with a happy Millie.

"McGonagall's onto us." She informed them and Ginny shrugged.

"I've hardly had any detention this year, I'm starting to worry Filch has forgotten my face." She said nonchalantly and Harry snorted in laughter.

By the end of the day, the enchantments were wearing thin, as she had predicted. Hufflepuffs now knew to jump out of the way, Slytherins could dart up the stairs without it turning to a slide if they were fast enough, Ravenclaws could leap from step to step light-footed without sinking, and the swamp no longer attacked Gryffindors so viciously.

She was proud of her work, though she was sure she would be in detention until the end of time itself. Classes resumed on the 2nd, much to everyone's sadness. The prank dominated the talk of the school. Millie walked into the common room that night, looking dejected.

"What's up Mill?" Audrina asked, looking up from her homework and noticing Millie's sadness instantly.

"I got detention." She said glumly. Audrina broke into a smile.

"I'm so proud!" She said, sweeping her into a hug. After a few minutes of cooing over her, Audrina sent her to bed. She sniffled.

"What?" Demelza asked with an amused smile.

"I taught her everything she knows. And she's growing up! My baby!" She burst into fake tears. Ginny patted her back, rolling her eyes.

Even Draco appreciated her prank somewhat- he recounted, unable to keep a straight face, how Goyle had kept trying to take the stairs and the slide that crashed him to the floor each time.

She was sitting down for breakfast when Lyra swooped down, a bright red envelope clamped in her beak. Neville, a few seats down from her, dove under the table. She tugged it from Lyra, confused.

"Is it your parents again?" Ginny asked calmly, reaching for the oatmeal. Audrina frowned, flipping it over.

"Why would they care now? Oh no, it's from Fred and George." She read and Ginny leaned over, interested.

"They're sending you a Howler? Why?" She wondered and Audrina shrugged, holding it out at arm's length and then gingerly pulled it open.

"AUDRINA CARONA BLACK WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU WE COULDN'T EVEN WRITE A NORMAL LETTER!" George's voice boomed out, making her laugh.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID THAT YOUNG LADY WE ARE BLOWN AWAY. SO SO PROUD OF YOU PRINCESS!" Fred continued and everyone was twisting to look her way.

"YOU ARE LIVING UP TO EVERYTHING YOU PROMISED!"

"MUM'S FURIOUS AT YOU AND GINNY, MCGONAGALL SENT HER A LETTER-"

"SHE'LL GET OVER IT, WE'RE STILL SO PROUD-"

"TELL GINNY GOOD JOB TOO, WE KNEW SHE WOULD COME AROUND EVENTUALLY-"

"BRING THIS MILLIE AROUND THIS SUMMER, WE WANT TO GET A LOOK AT THE NEXT GENERATION-"

"SO PROUD OF YOU!" They both chorused and the letter went up in flames. She grinned at Ginny, who was trying to coax Neville out from beneath the bench. She was struggling not to laugh.

She was in a fantastic mood when potion class arrived, still smiling about the Howler. There were only four of them in Potions that afternoon: Harry, Ernie, Draco and her.

"All too young to Apparate just yet?" said Slughorh genially, "Not turned seventeen yet?" They all shook their heads. "Ah well," said Slughorn cheerily, "as we're so few, we'll do something for fun. I want you all to brew me up something amusing!"

"That sounds good, sir," said Ernie sycophantically, rubbing his hands together. Draco, on the other hand, did not crack a smile.

"What do you mean, 'something amusing'?" he said irritably.

"Oh, surprise me," said Slughorn airily. All of them got up and headed for the supplies. As she rustled through the closet, she closed her hand over Draco's. He looked down at her.

"Are you alright?" She asked quietly and he just nodded, pulling away without a word. She sat down to brew her potion distractedly, glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes. Slughorn came around to inspect their potions and chortled over her Babbling Beverage.

"I don't dare taste it, don't want to make a fool out of me, do you Audrina?" He asked, waggling a finger at her.

"No sir." she said in mild amusement. He grinned and moved on to Harry's, ready to rave as always.

"Well, now, this looks absolutely wonderful," said Slughorn, clapping his hands together as he stared down into the sunshine yellow contents of Harry's cauldron. "Euphoria, I take it? And what's that I smell? Mmmm… You've added just a sprig of peppermint, haven't you? Unorthodox, but what a stroke of inspiration, Harry, of course, that would tend to counterbalance the occasional side effects of excessive singing and nose-tweaking... I really don't know where you get these brain waves, my boy… unless —"

Harry pushed the Half-Blood Prince's book deeper into his bag with his foot.

"— it's just your mother's genes coming out in you!"

"Oh... yeah, maybe," said Harry, looking relieved. When the bell rang, Ernie nearly sprinted out of the door and Draco was quick to follow. She cast a glance back at Harry and when he lingered, hurried after Draco.

"Draco." She said quietly, pulling him into a small potions classroom. "Something's wrong, isn't it." She stated and he shook his head, pushing his hair back.

"I'm alright Audrina." He promised half-heartedly. She frowned, gently stroking his cheek.

"I worry." She said needlessly and he gave a small grunt of acknowledgement, kissing the tips of her fingers.

"Go wreak more havoc." He said and she remained rooted to where she was, staring at him.

"What are you doing in the Room of Requirement?" She asked softly and he jumped, clearly caught off guard.

"Don't." He said angrily, some of his haughtiness returning. "You don't need to know."

"I do too. It's killing me. And it's killing you." She insisted, refusing to budge from her spot. She saw his eyes flickered downwards to his arm and moaned slightly. He gripped her face so tightly it hurt.

"When I say run, promise me you'll do it. Promise." He demanded and she hesitated then shook her head.

"Not away from you. Not away from them. I'm not a runner Draco." She said flatly then patted his cheek and walked away.

 **AN:** A fun little prank for Friday... Please leave me reviews and let me know what you thought!


	35. Chapter 35

When she arrived back at the common room, she dove into her homework as her evenings were now spent once again in various parts of the castle, cleaning, scrubbing, and writing endless lines promising she wouldn't use the castle to attack the houses.

She was packing up to head off into detention when Ginny entered the common room, bickering with Dean with the billionth time. She stopped to watch them move from bickering to full on shouting. She stayed around long enough watching that she was nearly late and was threatened by Flitwick with another month of detention for her tardiness.

"Ginny?" She asked quietly, as she snuck back into the dormitory, trying to make her hands stop smelling like soap. There was a slight sniffle and she crawled into Ginny's bed.

"I broke up with Dean." She said, voice slightly muffled.

"I figured." Audrina said, and she knew she wasn't being the most compassionate but she was unable to help herself.

"You don't make me feel better." She said, glaring at her over her shoulder. Audrina shrugged and snuggled into her.

"Go after Harry now." she said and she kicked her in the shins, hard enough to make her swear and pinch her arm.

* * *

The next afternoon Demelza sat down next to them glumly.

"What's wrong?" Audrina asked her and she gestured to a ways down the table where Katie was greeting everyone.

"I'm off the team." She said sadly.

"No you're not." Ginny said bracingly, throwing her arm around the younger girl. "You'll always be on our team."

As much as Audrina liked Demelza, she was glad both Katie and Ron were back. Likewise the team was so pleased to be rid of McLaggen, so glad to have Katie back at last, that they were flying extremely well.

Ginny did not seem at all upset about the breakup with Dean; on the contrary, she was the life and soul of the team. Her imitations of Ron anxiously bobbing up and down in front of the goal posts as the Quaffle sped toward him, or of Harry bellowing orders at McLaggen before being knocked out cold, kept them all highly amused. Audrina noticed in amusement Harry had received several more Bludger injuries during practice because he had not been keeping his eyes on the Snitch but Ginny.

He was almost always talking with her, laughing with her, walking back from practice with her. Audrina tried to hold off and make sure everyone else did as well but it was difficult to stop Ron from walking with Harry without making him suspicious of her actions.

She tried not to dwell on the idea of Ginny finally dating Harry, though it was difficult to avoid when she was with Hermione. Both of them were putting down money on when it would happen and on whether Ron would explode with anger when it did.

* * *

"Rigel is due this week." Audrina said quietly, playing with Draco's fingers as she reclined on his chest. They had commandeered a small classroom and transformed a desk into a squishy couch to relax on.

"I know." He said easily, petting her head. She twisted to look up at him. "Mother has to write to me about something." He explained and she nodded. "It's nearly curfew. You should go." He warned her. She sighed and reached up for one final kiss, then snuck out of the classroom.

She hadn't made very far when Snape billowed down the hallway towards her. Out of habit she steered herself towards the opposite wall in a desperate attempt to avoid him.

"Ms. Black, with me, please." He said flatly and she cursed under her breath. "You too, Mr. Malfoy." He called, as Draco tried to sulk out of the classroom. Draco joined them, giving her a confused look behind Snape's back. He led them to McGonagall's office, only increasing her confusion.

"Sorry, sir, what are we doing here?" Draco asked and Snape remained impassive, gesturing for them to enter. McGonagall looked up as they shuffled in.

"Ah, good. Both of them. Thank you, Severus." She said and he twitched his head in some sort of nod then departed.

"Professor?" Audrina asked slowly and she gestured to a letter on her desk. She picked it up and recognized her mother's handwriting.

"Your mother has given birth. She requested that you and Mr. Malfoy visit as soon as you were allowed. We've opened the Floo Network for you to leave and visit for approximately two hours then we ask you return to school." She informed Audrina and she reached for Draco's hand, uncaring of the fact she was not suppose to like him.

"He's… Here?" She asked slowly and she nodded, gesturing to the Floo Powder on her desk.

"I believe she is at your home with Mrs. Malfoy." She said and Audrina glanced back at Draco in disbelief then grabbed a handful of green dust and leapt in the fire, shouting,

"Black Estate!"

It wasn't lost on her that she hadn't been home in nearly two years. She remembered vividly coming home after third year and packing her entire room, looking around and realizing there were so many things she didn't need, like family pictures or all the drawings she had done of Draco and her that were stashed in a drawer.

She could still recount, verbatim, the screaming match that had ensued when she had walked down the stairs, Lyra's cage in hand, trunk behind her. How she had been called a traitor and a disgrace, how she screamed that her mother had never loved her own daughter for a moment in her life because Audrina had seen a real mother loving her children. How she had sneered at what her father would say and walked out, uncaring.

She spun through the fire rapidly, refusing to close her eyes to the various gates flashing past. She stopped spinning suddenly and did a funny sort of hop-step to get out of the fire without tumbling onto the marble. She looked up to see Narcissa staring coldly at her.

Draco emerged seconds after her and caught her waist to support himself. He straightened up but kept a firm hand against her back, keeping her tucked beside him.

"Mother." He said with a small nod and she nodded back. She was looking at his hands but didn't comment.

"They're upstairs." She said quietly and Audrina nearly sprinted to the staircase, moving out of sheer memory. Draco came behind her, at a much slower pace. She pushed the door open to the bedroom she had once run to when she was happy, scared, anything. The bedroom all the way at the end of the hall with its heavy double doors. Her parent's room.

Her mother was asleep in the large bed; her father was in a chair at his wife's side, reading. A small cradle was near the fire and she ignored her parents and went straight for the cradle, swaying from a spell. She leaned over and her breath disappeared.

A little boy lay there, fast asleep. His hair was jet black and she was shocked by how much there was of it. It reminded her of Sirius's shaggy locks and she stifled a small sob as she reached down and gently touched his pale, smooth cheek. He shifted and she drew back hastily, worried she had hurt him.

Instead of crying out, he just opened his eyes and she did start to cry. He had his mother's eyes, just like she did. The golden shade of honey, warm. He didn't cry, just stared up at her curiously.

"Do you want to hold him?" Draco asked quietly and she nodded, glancing back at her father, who gave a tiny nod. She reached down and gradually lifted him up to her chest, careful to mind his head.

"Rigel Castor Black." She said quietly, brushing a bit of his hair off his forehead. "I am going to love you more than anything in this world."

"That's a lie, she'll knock you off your broom first chance she gets if she thinks you're getting better than her." Draco cooed to Rigel and he squirmed a little bit, making her frown at him.

"Don't tell him these sorts of things." She scolded. "I only knocked you off your broom when you deserved it, which was most of the time, mind you." He smirked but didn't say anything else, just guided her to a chair where she could sit with her brother.

The two hours seemed to fly by. Her mother woke up at one point, addressed Draco only, and fell asleep shortly thereafter. Her father said no more than two words to her, them being "Good night." Draco gently tapped her shoulder, pointing to the clock.

"McGonagall is going to want us back." He reminded her and with great difficulty, she set her brother back in his cradle, which began to rock the second he touched it. She looked down at him, wondering if she could bring him with her. She gently tugged her finger from his grasp. With great reluctance, she took a bit of Floo Powder and spun off to Hogwarts.

McGonagall didn't glance up when she landed in her office, trailed by Draco. She kept grading first year papers.

"All is well, I trust?" She asked.

"Yes Professor."

"Then please hurry along to your separate common rooms." She said and Audrina waited until they had walked a ways down the corridor before hugging Draco fiercely. He looked at her, surprised.

"What was that?"

"If it wasn't for you, they wouldn't have brought me home." She told him. He gave a small smile and wiped a bit of soot off her forehead then kissed it.

"I'm glad you can call it home." He said quietly and departed. She rushed back to the common room to share the news with Ginny, who jumped around with her for a second then grew serious.

"You do know that you'll be loving a baby that's taking your place, one that'll be raised like you were, but without… Me." She pointed out and Audrina nodded, looking at her only picture of him.

"But he'll have me, no matter how much my parents try to stop it. Which is like having you." She reminded her. Ginny looked at her for a long moment then hugged her tightly.

 _Dear Dairy,_

 _Here I am, a big sister. 15 years of being the only one. I mean, I always knew it was possible for them to have another child because they had been young enough when they had me but I never thought they'd go through with it. I suppose it must have been difficult for them, me turning out to be the biggest disappointment since Sirius but they decided to give it another go and now he's here and I'm responsible for another life. Ginny is worried I'm starting to have too many ties to home. She doesn't say anything but I can see it in the ways that she watches me. I guess she's got a point. A year ago at this time if you told me that I would be kissing Draco Malfoy and be allowed home to meet my little brother I would have laughed at you so hard I might have passed out. Yet here I am. I've been home and on the arm of Draco Malfoy no less. I just want this damn war to be over. I want to steal my little brother, bring him to the Burrow, and make sure he's raised with love and light and warmth, not in a chilly mansion with parents that prefer he's neither seen nor heard. I can't do that to Mrs. Weasley. She's already got two orphans to take care of and one of her own that's a prat. I just wish my brother could meet Jace or Fallon or the twins or most of all Ginny. I wish I could show him my family. That's what I don't think Ginny realizes. My family is whom I make it. I don't love Rigel because he's related to me by blood. I love him because he's a fresh start. I love him because I want to teach him that even if my family kicks me out and disowns me, burns my name off the tapestry and refuses to acknowledge me, I won't be like them. I won't hate someone simply because they're different. I want to be Rigel's family. And I'm happy he's here. I love him._

 _-_ _Audrina Carona Black_

 **AN:** Happy Monday! A nice and flurry chapter to start off the week. Let me know what you think!


	36. Chapter 36

The balmy days slid gently through May, and Quidditch was more talked about than exams at this point. Interest in the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw game was running extremely high throughout the school, for the match would decide the Championship, which was still wide open.

If Gryffindor beat Ravenclaw by a margin of three hundred points then they would win the Championship. If they won by less than three hundred points, they would come second to Ravenclaw; if they lost by a hundred points they would be third behind Hufflepuff and if they lost by more than a hundred, they would be in fourth place and that hadn't happened in two centuries.

The run-up to this crucial match had all the usual features: members of rival Houses attempting to intimidate opposing teams in the corridors; unpleasant chants about individual players being rehearsed loudly as they passed; the team members themselves either swaggering around enjoying all the attention or else dashing into bathrooms between classes to throw up. She had experienced all of this before, but never as a player.

Jace was one of the players to swagger about- she never saw him without at least five girls clustered around him. Fallon, pretending to be above it all, tried to tell him off whenever he loudly booed Ginny and Audrina in the hallways, but it was better knowing that he was joking than Roger Davies, who she was fairly sure would tear her in half.

As a result of the chaos she saw less and less of Draco, so little that she wondered if he had thought about revealing his secret in the Room of Requirement. It was a couple days before the match and she sat listlessly eating her dinner, moving her food around her plate, unable to eat, sick of studying .

"I hear he's not going to make it." Lavender Brown said, passing by, gossiping with a sixth year Hufflepuff Audrina didn't know.

"Who?" She said loudly in mild alarm, first thoughts going to her team members and if an attack had occurred. Lavender gave her a dirty look.

"Haven't you heard? Potter and Malfoy got into some sort of duel and it got pretty ugly. I guess," her voice dropped into a gossipy whisper, "That Potter cut him open and he lost a lot of blood." Audrina stared at her then shoved her out of her way, sprinting for the hospital wing.

She burst in and shoved her way through the crowd blindly, uncaring of who she was pushing aside. Draco was lying in bed, his face pale, as Madam Pomfrey fussed over his chest. She collapsed against the nearest person, who, upon looking up, found to be Dumbledore.

"Rina, I'm fine." Draco said wearily and she straightened up, sitting on his bed, and pushing his hair back.

"Lavender Brown told me you weren't going to make it." She told him, trying to sound jokingly and failing miserably.

"That'll be the rumors." He said tiredly.

"Was it Harry?" She asked him, fire lighting in her belly.

"Indeed." Snape sneered behind her and she clenched the sheets.

"Rina," Draco started, likely recognizing the look in her eyes. "Wait, Rina, don't," She stood up sharply.

"Where is he?" She demanded of Dumbledore.

"I believe he is getting a stern talking to from Professor McGonagall." He told her, glancing at Draco's hand on her wrist and back at her.

"If you leave, I promise that I personally will haul you back here and it won't be pleasant." She threatened Draco and he chuckled dryly.

"Can't be worse than this." He muttered, as Madam Pomfrey clucked and forced some liquid in his mouth. After a moments hesitation Audrina ducked and kissed his forehead. Then she turned and stalked out, ready to lay in wait for Harry's arrival back at the common room.

The rumors where indeed flying, though apparently her running out of the Great Hall was attributed to her concern about Harry and less about Draco's injury. In the common room it was all anyone could talk about and though Ginny kept glancing her way she didn't dare approach. Everyone was fretting about Harry missing the last game, but Audrina had other worries.

When Harry arrived back in the common room, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione rushed him. Audrina hung back, listening as he explained that he had used a spell from the Prince's book.

"I told you there was something wrong with that Prince person," Hermione said, evidently unable to stop herself. "And I was right, wasn't I."

"No, I don't think you were," said Harry stubbornly.

"Why?" Audrina asked quietly, moving forward. Harry glanced at her as though he just noticed she was listening. "How isn't she right? You almost killed someone today, Harry."

"Audrina, it wasn't like that." He said dismissively and she drew her wand, pointing it at his throat, hand steady. Ginny and Ron both jumped but Hermione just watched grimly.

"Audrina, what in the bloody hell are you doing?" Ron demanded and she ignored him.

"Did it feel good Harry? To see his blood go everywhere? Did he cry out in pain? Did you like seeing him cry? Did it make you feel bigger, better?" She asked calmly and Harry's eyes darted to look at Ginny, who was holding her hands over her mouth, eyes flickering between Harry and Audrina.

"Audrina, no, I didn't know, I had no idea," He spluttered and she shrugged indifferently.

"Of course not. Cause he's just Malfoy. A Death Eater. He doesn't have anyone that loves him. He doesn't love anyone. He doesn't wipe away tears from someone's face or hug them when they're sad. He's just Malfoy." She spat and the realization of what she was saying and meant was beginning to settle in on their faces.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, bewildered and she raised her wand even higher. Ron and Ginny both jumped forward but stayed a ways back from them, both confused.

"Touch him and you hurt me. Do not hurt those I love Harry Potter. It will not end well for you, I can promise you that much. I am too much a Black to learn to forgive easily." She said quietly and his eyes went wide. She lowered her wand and stepped back. All four of them were staring at her in shock.

"You… And Malfoy?" Harry asked, eyes wide.

"Audrina!" Ginny blurted out, looking at her in disbelief and anger. "You're saying Harry's the bad guy here?"

"I'm saying that for him to stand here and try to justify himself using that spell is almost as bad as using it." She said coolly.

"I'm not defending what I did!" said Harry quickly. "I wish I hadn't done it, and not just because I've got about a dozen detentions. You know I wouldn't've used a spell like that, not even on Malfoy, but you can't blame the Prince, he hadn't written 'try this out, it's really good' — he was just making notes for himself, wasn't he, not for anyone else…"

"Are you telling me," said Hermione, turning her attention away from Audrina, "that you're going to go back — ?"

"And get the book? Yeah, I am," said Harry forcefully. "Listen, without the Prince I'd never have won the Felix Felicis. I'd never have known how to save Ron from poisoning, I'd never have —"

"— got a reputation for Potions brilliance you don't deserve," said Hermione nastily.

"Give it a rest, Hermione!" said Ginny, and Harry looked up gratefully. "By the sound of it, Malfoy was trying to use an Unforgivable Curse, you should be glad Harry had something good up his sleeve!" Ginny didn't look at her and Audrina felt like simultaneously hitting her and agreeing with her.

"Well, of course I'm glad Harry wasn't cursed!" said Hermione, clearly stung. "But you can't call that Sectumsempra spell good, Ginny, look where it's landed him! And I'd have thought, seeing what this has done to your chances in the match —"

"Oh, don't start acting as though you understand Quidditch," snapped Ginny, "you'll only embarrass yourself."

They all stared: Hermione and Ginny, who had always got on together very well, were now sitting with their arms folded, glaring in opposite directions. Ron looked nervously at Harry, then snatched up a book at random and hid behind it. Audrina got up and left, not wanting to be a part of this anymore.

She made her way back to the hospital wing and sat next to a sleeping Draco, carefully straightening his sheets. She slumped in the chair, feeling exhausted. She rubbed her eyes to try and stop the tears that were gathering. It did no good and they fell unbidden.

"You know, I don't think any other guy in this school can make you cry like he can." A deep voice said and she looked up, startled. Blaise was standing behind her, looking down at Draco indifferently.

"I don't know, Zambini, if you told me I was pretty I might cry tears of joy." She retorted, sitting up straight.

"You don't need to do that, you know." He commented, reaching down and taking one of the candies that had already been delivered to the hospital wing from Draco's mother.

"Do what?" She asked, confused.

"Turn into a stone cold ice queen anytime someone in green is within ten feet of you." He explained, pulling up a chair opposite of her and sitting in it regally, as only he could.

"I thought only Slytherins could be ice queens." She said, watching him warily. He paid her no mind, just looked at Draco.

"I think you're a Slytherin, deep down." He said quietly and she glared furiously at him. "Or at least, I know you've got a little bit of Slytherin in you. You are a Black, after all."

"Then you don't know me at all." She said hotly and he finally looked up at her, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't? Then how did I know you'd be here? Where's your best friend? She's not here." He pointed out.

"You know there's no way a Gryffindor would sit at a Slytherin's bedside." She scoffed.

"And yet here you are." He said quietly and she was silent, looking at Draco, fast asleep.

"What else do you want, Blaise?" She asked tiredly.

"I just wanted to stop in and see if my best friend was alright after a vicious attack by a fellow student. Is that something that really needs questioning?" He said and she rolled her eyes.

"If you know me then I know you. And there's no way you'd allow yourself to be in the hospital wing unless there was some reward for you." She informed him and he allowed a small smile.

"Ice queen, down to your last breath. Perhaps it was for the candy?" He suggested and she narrowed her eyes. "Alright, you win Black. Draco asked me to come and talk to you. He figured you'd come back here." He told her.

"Why?" She asked in confusion.

"Because I am his best friend. And I know him better than you." He said and she knew from his tone of voice this was a statement of fact, not a challenge. The two lived together and she knew that Blaise was one of the few people that Draco actually did respect.

"Why do you need to talk to me?" She asked him and Blaise glanced at Draco then sighed.

"Because the way Draco talks about you. He loves you, Black. He doesn't say much but the things that slip out are hints enough."

"He's told you about us?" She asked, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise. It was impossible to imagine Draco gushing about her at all, least of all in the Slytherin common room to his friends. Blaise let out a snort of laughter and she looked at him, affronted.

"No. He never uses your name, not directly. But it doesn't take a genius to work out that it's you when he does mention things. Of course, Crabbe and Goyle are idiots so it's highly likely I am the only person to have figured out it's you." He said thoughtfully and she nodded at his point.

"What does he say?" She asked, before she could help herself. Blaise turned his dark eyes on her.

"That he hopes he lives through this. That he didn't have a reason to before but he does now. And that changes everything for him." He said flatly and shivers went down her spine. Her stomach disappeared and she leaned forward to grab Draco's hand immediately. Blaise stood up. "Goodnight." He said quietly and disappeared.

She stared at Draco in horror, wondering what he could possibly have to do that made him question his own life. She wondered what the Death Eaters could possibly need a little boy for. That's all he was, a little boy. He wasn't sure he would live. He wasn't sure he wanted to live. And now she was the reason that he was living. She put her head on the bed.

"What are they making you do?" She asked sadly.

"Ms. Black, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave, visiting hours are over." Madam Pomfrey called and she nodded, standing. As she went to push the doors open, they opened for her and Dumbledore was waiting for her, a small smile on his face.

"Sir, I'm sorry." She said automatically, scooting over so he could enter the hospital wing.

"Not at all Audrina, you are just the person I wanted to see." He said warmly, offering her his arm. "May I escort you to your common room?" He offered and she nodded, taking his arm.

"I don't know if I really want to go back there." She commented, just to fill the silence as they walked.

"Why is that?" He asked calmly.

"I may have threatened Harry." She admitted and he chortled.

"Always one for confrontation, aren't you?" He said with amusement. "Though if I dare say I can see why you might." She looked up at him in astonishment and he was smiling, though not looking at her. They walked in silence nearly all the way back to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Sir." She said hesitantly as they neared the painting. "About what you told me, this summer, and then again this winter, about trying with Draco…" She trailed off and he gave her an encouraging nod. "I'm trying, I just don't know how much good I'm doing." She said desperately.

"Audrina." He said quietly, facing her. "You've done a world of good. Imagine if you hadn't set out to help him. I've seen the power of love many, many times before. And I think it is a mistake of those who think themselves old and wise to underestimate the love of the young." With a nod and a wink he left her standing outside, more confused but slightly reassured.

When she walked into her dorm room, she hesitated in the doorway. Hermione and Ginny were both on their respective beds, talking quietly. She coughed loudly and they both looked up at her.

"Just start yelling and get it over with." She said, crossing her arms and looking at both of them. She was sick of hiding Draco and the fact that she liked him so much, sick of the rumors that were sure to start, already sick of the whispered gossip behind her back.

"You threatened Harry and that's not alright." Ginny started and she nodded, looking to Hermione.

"We're very angry with you." She said and Audrina nodded again, looking towards Ginny.

"But we have to say we know why you did it." Ginny said and her mouth dropped open. That was something she wasn't expecting.

"You've been our friend for a long time, Audrina." Hermione started, sighing. "But we forget that you have a different family and you had them for eleven years, rather than the five that we've known you."

"And we forget that you're a little bit crazy for the people that you love because we've always been the people that you fight for, not with." Ginny said quietly and Audrina bowed her head at her point.

"I'm still very upset with you for saying that to Harry." Hermione reminded her quickly.

"And I'm still mad you thought you could hide the fact that you've been seeing Malfoy for so long." Ginny added.

"It's not like I could tell you two!" She shot back irritably and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I think we can all collectively agree that he's only a little bit worse than McLaggen." She said and Ginny and Audrina both looked at her in disbelief. "Just trying to lighten the mood." She said defensively.

"Just don't bring him around." Ginny grumbled, throwing her books off her bed and pulling the blankets over her head.

"Not likely, not now or ever." Audrina snorted and sat down.

"But if you ever threaten Harry again or if Malfoy ever does hurt Harry-" Hermione started and Audrina shot her a look so cold she stopped her sentence midway and quietly got up to get ready for bed.

 **AN:** A little bit of the duel from Draco's side... Please leave me reviews, they really are my favorites!


	37. Chapter 37

Harry announced to everyone that he would miss the final game due to detention given to him by Snape and though Audrina wasn't happy they would likely lose, she also felt Harry deserved more of a punishment than that. Demelza would rejoin as a Chaser and Ginny would be their Seeker.

Harry also didn't speak to Audrina nor did Ron. The rumors of what had happened in the common room were varied- some people had said she was only reenacting the duel with Harry; others claimed that she was trying to learn the spell as well. No one brought up the possibility of her defending Draco.

Hermione was a different story. She eyed her carefully and said nothing. Audrina was too tired to worry about her when the match was looming overhead. She suspected she would get a talking to shortly due to the fact that every time she saw the three they bent their heads together and whispered.

* * *

"Nervous?" Draco asked her, the night before the match, as she helped him stand out of bed. He was finally being discharged and she had insisted that she help him leave.

"You want us to lose." She said, busying herself sweeping his sweet wrappings into a bin.

"I want you happy." He said quietly and she looked up at his ever pale, pinched face. He smiled slightly then gestured for them to leave. When she entered her dormitory, Hermione and Ginny were sitting on their beds, arms folded. She stifled a moan and slumped against the door.

"What am I going to get yelled at for now?" She asked tiredly and Ginny didn't even twitch.

"Would you save Draco or Harry?" She asked flatly and she looked at her. "Who?" She demanded.

"I don't know!" Audrina said wildly, unsure of what she was trying to ask her. "What are the circumstances?"

"Anything." Hermione said at once. "They're both going to die, who do you save?" She asked and Audrina straightened up to her full height, the hot pit of fury in her stomach growing.

"No." She said vehemently. "Do not play that game with me you two. Do you know who plays that game? Who would you save, Ginny or Draco? Rigel or Ron? Harry or Dumbledore? Don't play that game with me."

"What's your answer?" Hermione pressed and she rounded on her. "Where are your loyalties?" Audrina ripped off her robes and threw them at her.

"Where do you think?" She cried. "I gave up everything to be in this house, Hermione! I gave up my home and parents and best friend and entire family, even a little brother. I gave it all up so I could be brave!"

"So Harry or Draco?" Ginny asked and Audrina turned to her, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

"Why can't I have both?" She asked desperately. "Why can't I stand behind one and love the other? I can't help whom I love, you two should know about being in love and him having no clue. I can't stop loving him anymore than you can stop loving Harry, Ginny. He's wound up in whom I am. I could have been like that too, but I had you two. To draw me out of that dark place." She said, thinking back on Dumbledore's words.

"So what do you do when it comes down to a battle and you have to kill Draco to protect Harry? Who do you kill?" Hermione asked and Audrina gave a short, humorless laugh.

"The second that happens, you can call me a Death Eater. Because you know who forces people to claim loyalty to one person and discard all others? Voldemort. And you will always be my family. But I love him. And I would never betray you. But I won't stop loving him because you all don't think I won't walk away if he ever hurts you. Don't make me make a promise I can't keep. All I can give you is the fact that I am a Gryffindor and I can be just as brave." She stood, chest heaving. Slowly, their arms came uncrossed.

"We're worried about you." Hermione said tenderly, reaching for her arm and Audrina shook her head.

"I worry about me." She said quietly then got ready for bed.

 _Dear Diary,_

 _And there it is. My two worlds colliding into one. Best friends and boyfriends. Blood and love. Family and family. I knew it was coming and I was an idiot for thinking I could keep pushing it off. Actually I'm a lucky idiot because it did get pushed off for so long. They asked me whom I would pick, Draco or Harry. I don't want to pick. I don't want to be forced into picking. I want this war to disappear. I want to close my eyes and open them and everything will be fine and normal. Harry will be just another kid and he'll be making an idiot of himself in front of Ginny and we'll all laugh and the only problem with me loving Draco will be when we play them and someone's house has to lose. Why can't it be like that? Why can't life be simple? And why can't I choose? I've thought so many times, put myself in the situation of a curse flying at the both of them, who I would push out of the way. I can't pick. I know I should pick Harry, that it should be so easy to say of course I should save the boy that is the only salvation we have. He's our only hope. The fate of my whole world is on his shoulders. And yet here I am. I like to think that I'd do the right thing, that I would choose Harry. But the idea of spending the rest of my life knowing Draco is gone because of my actions… That's a guilt I can't bear. Sometimes I think that even if we can't stay together through this, the idea of knowing he's ok would be enough. Knowing he's alive and out there but not mine would be better than knowing he's gone and I could have done something to prevent it. Harry may be the most important man in the wizarding world but Draco is the most important man in mine. For them to make me choose is bad but the fact that I don't know who I would choose makes me wonder if I am really am capable of making the right choice. Isn't that what a Gryffindor does, be brave in the face of danger and make the right choices? I feel selfish picking Draco. I feel like a Slytherin._

 _-_ _Audrina Carona Black_

* * *

The day of the match was sunny, with a little wind. Katie, the captain since Harry was gone, looked at all of them with a shrewd eye before nodding her head and leading them onto the pitch.

The crowd was either maroon and gold or silver and navy, there were no other colors. Audrina wanted to enjoy the first real spring day but the fact that her hands were shaking too badly to grip her broom made that a problem. Ginny stood next to Audrina, Demelza next to Ginny.

"It's just like summer." Ginny said to her, without looking at her. "Just rounds, just apples. It's nothing." She gave herself a gentle shake.

"This one's for Potter then." Katie Bell said and they all nodded. "Make it count." She told them and they kicked into the air. Audrina spotted Jace across from her, easily lofting his bat and remembered his promise to only hit half the Bludgers towards her and gulped, then bent over her broom and darted for the Quaffle when the whistle blew.

Not having Ginny next to her was off-putting but Katie and Demelza were more than enough to make up for it. They darted, looped, braked, and dove around each other, determined to redeem themselves from Hufflepuff.

She ducked a Bludger and kicked Jace's broom away from her, hearing his laughter as she caught the Quaffle and zoomed in to score. Jimmy arrived a second later to smash another Bludger out of the way.

Ginny zipped to and fro above them, knowing not to catch the Snitch until they were up at least three hundred points up, a score Demelza, Katie, and Audrina were working hard to give her. It wasn't easy- the Ravenclaw Chasers were all boys and were stronger than them. Katie received a bloody nose but scored the three hundredth point.

Audrina pulled up to see if Ginny had spotted anything and saw her streaking straight up. She saw Cho close behind and turned, practically lying flat on her broom to smash into Davies, forcing him to drop the Quaffle. A starburst of pain above her left eyebrow made her nearly fall off her broom, but the next words made it worth it.

"GINNY WEASLEY HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY TO A HUNDRED AND FORTY! GRYFFIDOR WINS THE CUP!" The announcer was yelling but Audrina heard nothing but the chorus of 'Weasley is Our King' and Katie's screaming in her ear as the knot of them sunk to the ground, a pile of brooms and limbs, all crying in joy.

When she looked up across the pitch Jace shaking his head and swearing, fighting his way through a mass of girls to grab Fallon around the waist and hug her tightly. They both glanced back at her and shook their heads. She kept grinning, too happy to care.

She was not quite sure how she made it back to the common room; she was carried atop a mass of gold and maroon students, all singing and cheering. In the common room she was toasted with Firewhiskey and Butterbeer. She was dancing on top of a couch with an equally drunk Seamus when the portrait hole swung open and Harry walked in, clearly stunned by the amount of noise that greeted him.

"We won!" yelled Ron, bounding into sight and brandishing the silver Cup at Harry. "We won! Four hundred and fifty to a hundred and forty! We won!"

From her high vantage point she saw that Ginny running toward him; she had a hard, blazing look in her face as she threw her arms around him. And without hesitation, Harry kissed her.

After several long moments they broke apart. The room had gone very quiet. Then several people wolf-whistled and there was an outbreak of nervous giggling. Audrina dropped her Butterbeer on Jimmy's head. Dean Thomas was holding a shattered glass in his hand, and Romilda Vane looking as though she might throw something. Hermione was beaming.

Ron was still clutching the Cup and wearing an expression appropriate to having been clubbed over the head. For a fraction of a second they looked at each other, then Ron gave a tiny jerk of the head and Harry, grinning, left the common room with Ginny.

* * *

The fact that Harry Potter was going out with Ginny Weasley seemed to interest a great number of people, most of them girls, but it was a welcome change from the gossip about his duel with Draco. Jace forgave her quickly for beating him when she promised to tell him exactly how Ginny had charged Harry and how Ron didn't speak for two hours afterwards.

One day they were sitting in the library, attempting to study as a group. Ron and Harry were both on speaking terms with her again; apparently winning the House Cup proved her loyalty without doubt. Ginny was deep in thought, reading from a thick history book. Audrina glanced up and caught Harry watching Ginny with a small smile.

"She's my best friend in the whole world." She said softly. He smiled at her, just one quick grin.

"I know."

"And you do know; if you break her heart, I'll break your face. Screw this 'chosen one' crap." She vowed. He burst into laughter. Ginny looked at them.

"Did I miss something?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You have no idea." Audrina said sweetly.

* * *

"You'd think people had better things to gossip about," said Ginny, as she sat on the common room floor, leaning against Harry's legs and reading the Daily Prophet. "Three Dementor attacks in a week, and all Romilda Vane does is ask me if it's true you've got a Hippogriff tattooed across your chest." Ron, Hermione, and Audrina roared with laughter. Harry ignored them.

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her it's a Hungarian Horntail," said Ginny, turning a page of the newspaper idly. "Much more macho."

"Thanks," said Harry, grinning. "And what did you tell her Ron's got?"

"A Pygmy Puff, but I didn't say where." Ron scowled as Hermione and Audrina rolled around laughing.

"Watch it," he said, pointing warningly at Harry and Ginny. "Just because I've given my permission doesn't mean I can't withdraw it –"

"Your permission," scoffed Ginny. "Since when did you give me permission to do anything? Anyway, you said yourself you'd rather it was Harry than Michael or Dean."

"Hear, hear." Audrina chirped up from where she was trying to breathe on the floor. "We all prefer Harry."

"Yeah, I would," said Ron grudgingly. "And just as long as you don't start snogging each other in public –"

"You filthy hypocrite! What about you and Lavender, thrashing around like a pair of eels all over the place?" demanded Ginny, sending Hermione, Harry, and Audrina into another fit of laughter.

Ron wasn't tested too much. Ginny and Audrina's O.W.L.s were approaching and they were therefore forced to study for hours into the night, something she never thought she'd do. Similarly, she hardly saw Draco. They could linger in Slughorn's classroom after potions or try to bump into one other in the library. Even though her friends knew of Draco now, it was a touchy subject. She avoided saying anything around them.

The days got warmer and she noticed Draco spent more time lingering with her, even though he had just as many tests to study for as she did with his N.E.W.T.s. He kissed her forehead long and slow as they took a long walk around the lake after supper.

"You'll see me tomorrow, we have potions." She reminded him sweetly and he shook his head slightly.

"I wish you would promise me that'd you'd keep yourself safe." He said quietly and she looked at him, confused.

"How am I in danger?" She questioned and he just shook his head, giving her a soft kiss.

 **AN:** So many sweet reviews lately, you make me blush! I'm glad you all like it. From here on out, I really like it, so I hope you do too. Let me know what you think, thank you!


	38. Chapter 38

She was sitting in a quiet corner in the library, secluded, trying to remember the discoveries of all 59 major Ancient Runes sites in South America when Draco skidded into sight.

"Draco?" She asked, confused. His eyes were bright, face flushed, hair messy. He grabbed her hand and tugged her out of the window seat. "What's going on?" She demanded.

"Come with me." He insisted.

"Where are we going?" She questioned, trying to slow him down.

"Common room." He said and she yanked him to a stop. He turned, exasperated. "Come on!"

"Why are you taking me to your common room?" She insisted and he grabbed her face, now looking scared.

"Please, just let me protect you." He begged quietly.

"From what?" She wondered and he sighed, his head drooping.

"Please, for once in your life, don't ask questions and just go." He begged, trying to pull her towards the dungeons.

"No." She said flatly. "I've got people I need to protect too Draco. What am I protecting them from?"

"Me!" He cried, still holding onto her limp hand. "I'm sorry Audrina, he was going to kill me, my mother, you…" A sudden shock ran through her body as she realized that this is it. For what he is. Something terrible was about to happen, caused by him, and if he was trying to get her to safety, that meant everyone was in grave danger.

"Harry was right." She said quietly and he stared blankly at her. "That you were up to something."

"Let me protect you." He repeated and she stood very, very still, mind whirling at top speed.

"No." She said quietly. "My turn." She looked up at his pale face and realized that she was making her choice right now. "Wait for me at the Room of Requirement." She ordered and he opened his mouth. "Do it Draco." She said coldly and he turned, hurrying off.

* * *

"Ginny." She said, touching her shoulder. She looked up from her Care of Magical Creatures tiredly.

"Rin, I don't know the answers to McGonagall's-"

"Ginny." She interrupted and her tone caught her attention. She straightened up. "No matter what happens tonight, no matter what goes on, remember what I said to you and Hermione. I'll never betray you. I'm going to be with Malfoy. I'll try to stop it at the source." She informed her and she looked confused, glancing around to see if Draco was with her.

"What source? Wait. You… Called him Malfoy." She said slowly and Audrina bit her lip, trying not to cry. She nodded.

"Get Millie in her room. Tell her she is not to come out, not ever, not for anything. Tell her to stay there, no matter what. Fallon and Adam and Jace too. I'd tell you but…" She closed her eyes to stop the tears. Ginny would never listen to that, not if Audrina or Ron or Harry or Hermione was in danger.

"What's going on?" She asked and then jumped, reaching into one of her pockets and pulling out her DA coin. "Something's up, I think Harry needs us." She told her, looking up.

"I know." She said quietly.

"You're not coming." She stated in disbelief and confusion and Audrina took a deep, shaky breath.

"I'll already be there. I'm going to stop this, Ginny. You just stay safe. You're… You're the only one I have." With that, she sprinted away from her, knowing that if she looked back she would stay by her side the entire night.

* * *

She arrived at the seventh floor in record time, where Draco was waiting, pale in the face.

"What was that about?" He demanded and she shook her head.

"I'm on your side now." She said hollowly. He nodded and led her into the room, overflowing with junk. He guided her to the back where a large cupboard sat. She noticed the area around it was clear, like someone had spent a lot of time here. She looked at him.

"Stay quiet. I'll protect you." He muttered and pulled the door open. People streamed through the door and she shrunk back, recognizing almost all of them. The Carrows, Yaxley, Gibbon, Rowle, and Greyback.

"Well, what's this?" A familiar voice asked from behind her and she spun around, trying very hard not to start visibly shaking. "Does wittle Draco have a wittle girlfriend?"

"Aunt Bella." Audrina said calmly and she cackled. Draco's hand fastened around her wrist.

"She's on our side now." He stated.

"How do we know for sure?" Greyback growled, barring his teeth at her. She remained where she was.

"Ask my mother, she came back to meet her brother. I've been in love with her all year." He informed them and she wondered if she hadn't been planning on betraying him if that declaration would've made her smile. She felt like she had been plunged into a nightmare. She remembered Blaise's words and let that persona wrap around her. An ice queen she would be.

"Another Black back in the fold." Bellatrix said, eyeing her as though she still didn't trust her. She struggled not to shiver. "How will the Dark Lord feel about your girlfriend?"

"I'm as pure-blooded as you, remember that." She said haughtily. "The Dark Lord can't deny my bloodlines."

"A pure-blood in Gryffindor." Gibbon sneered and she rounded on him, giving him a deathly furious look.

"Who else is going to know how they work? I guarantee they're watching this room, Potter's been onto Draco all year." She said and they all looked to Draco, who uncomfortably checked the door.

"She's right." He admitted and Rowle drew his wand as they neared the exit. Her heart leapt into her throat as she recognized Ginny's flaming hair patrolling in front of the room.

"Do you want the entire school to know you're here?" She demanded, smacking it aside and drawing a small pouch from her pocket. "Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. We can use Draco's Hand of Glory and sneak by them. That way they don't know how many of us there are." She pointed out, noticing the disgusting hand that Draco had left propped by the door.

"She really is on our side." Yaxley commented lazily and she refused to look his way or at Bellatrix.

"Let's go." Draco said nervously. They all huddled around him and the second the door opened he emptied her pouch, casting darkness all around them. She heard Ginny and Neville's confused shouts but plunged on with Draco, until they were a safe ways away.

She was just steadying her racing heart when she heard shouts and saw a wave of people racing down the hall, lead by Tonks and Shacklebolt. Bellatrix screeched with delight at the sight of them and raced to meet them, her wand already glowing green.

"NO!" Audrina screamed but Draco had grabbed her hand and was pulling her away, leaping over someone lying on the ground, motionless, and she ran with him despite every instinct shrieking at her to go back.

"Now what?" She asked, as they slowed to catch their breath. She refused to think about Tonks and Lupin and everyone else in the Order going into battle- she stared straight ahead and kept playing her role.

"Go to my common room. Stay safe." He said and she wrapped her arm tightly around his.

"Not a chance." She said and he opened his mouth to argue then shut it and shook his head.

"If you're really on my side you'd go hide." He hissed, striding down the corridor hurriedly.

"And if you really knew me at all you'd know the last thing I'm going to do is leave you here by yourself." She hissed back.

"Why are you so stubborn?" He demanded angrily.

"I'm a Black!" She reminded him and he stopped short, grabbing her face and forcing her to look up at him.

"I am sorry for what I'm about to do. But know that I am only doing it to protect you." He said, then took the stairs to the Astronomy Tower three at a time. She followed suit.

He pushed the door open and barreled through it, shouting, _'Expelliarmus!'_ She skidded in behind him, freezing at the sight of Dumbledore standing alone, very wandless.

 **AN:** Happy Friday cliffhanger! Now we're getting to the most important part of the story and my favorite... Let me know what you think!


	39. Chapter 39

"Good evening, Draco." He said calmly then glanced back at her. "And to you too Audrina." Draco stepped forwards, glancing around quickly to check that he and Dumbledore were alone. His eyes fell upon the second broom.

"Who else is here?"

"A question I might ask you. Or are you acting alone?" Dumbledore questioned, still very calm.

"No"' he said. "I've got back-up. There are Death Eaters here in your school tonight."

"Well, well," said Dumbledore, as though Draco was showing him a rather ambitious homework project. "Very good indeed. You found a way to let them in, did you?"

"Yeah," said Draco, who was panting. "Right under your nose and you never realized!"

"Ingenious,' said Dumbledore. "Yet... forgive me... where are they now? You seem unsupported, save for Audrina."

"They met some of your guard. They're having a fight down below. They won't be long ... I came on ahead. I - I've got a job to do." Draco said, glancing back at her and then back to Dumbledore.

"Well, then, you must get on and do it, my dear boy," said Dumbledore softly.

There was silence, other than the distant bangs of someone dueling. Her blood was thundering in her ears as she imagined Hermione, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Neville, everyone fighting the Death Eaters she had let in. Draco did nothing but stare at Albus Dumbledore who, incredibly, smiled. "Draco, Draco, you are not a killer."

"How do you know?" said Draco at once, before straightening up slightly. "You don't know what I'm capable of," he said more forcefully, "You don't know what I've done!" He wavered as if to look back at her but she already knew what Dumbledore was about to confirm.

"Oh, yes, I do," said Dumbledore mildly. "You almost killed Katie Bell and Ronald Weasley. You have been trying, with increasing desperation, to kill me all year. Forgive me, Draco, but they have been feeble attempts ... so feeble, to be honest, that I wonder whether your heart has been really in it..."

"It has been in it!" said Draco vehemently. "I've been working on it all year, and tonight –"

"And yet you also found time to woo Ms. Black." Dumbledore said quietly and she looked at him desperately. Something from the glimmer in his eyes told her he knew what she was really doing. "You love her quite a bit, don't you?" He asked and Draco flushed.

"That's not what this is about." He said and Dumbledore gave a little shrug, as if to admit his point.

"You said I didn't know what you were capable of Draco. You were capable of hurting students but you were also capable of watching over Audrina… I assume you tried to protect her tonight." He guessed and Draco drooped somewhat, biting his lip.

"She wouldn't go." He admitted quietly and Dumbledore gave a small little laugh of sorts.

"Always the Gryffindor, aren't you Audrina?" He said and she refused to look at Draco as she said,

"Through and through sir." A loud bang startled her and Draco looked down nervously.

"Somebody is putting up a good fight," said Dumbledore conversationally. "But you were saying... yes, you have managed to introduce Death Eaters into my school which, I admit, I thought impossible... how did you do it?" Draco said nothing: he was still listening to whatever was happening below. "Perhaps you ought to get on with the job alone," suggested Dumbledore. "What if your back-up has been thwarted by my guard? As you have perhaps realized, there are members of the Order of the Phoenix here tonight, too. And after all, you don't really need help... I have no wand at the moment... I cannot defend myself." Draco merely stared at him.

"Draco, don't." She whispered, more of a plea than anything. She now knew what Dumbledore had wanted her to do, what he had been trying to prevent all year. This moment was what she was supposed to stop. And if she failed now they would all likely die.

"I see," said Dumbledore kindly, when Draco neither moved nor spoke. "You are afraid to act until they join you."

"I'm not afraid!" snarled Draco, though he still made no move to hurt Dumbledore. "It's you who should be scared!"

"But why? I don't think you will kill me, Draco. Killing is not nearly as easy as the innocent believe... So tell me, while we wait for your friends... How did you smuggle them in here? It seems to have taken you a long time to work out how to do it." Draco looked as though he was fighting down the urge to shout, or to vomit. He gulped and took several deep breaths, glaring at Dumbledore, his wand pointing directly at the latter's heart. Then, as though he could not help himself, he said,

"I had to mend that broken Vanishing Cabinet that no one's used for years. The one Montague got lost in last year." He revealed and she thought of all the times he'd disappeared for hours and wished desperately that she could have gotten to him earlier.

"Aaaah." Dumbledore's sigh was half a groan. He closed his eyes for a moment. "That was clever ... there is a pair, I take it?"

"The other's in Borgin and Burkes," said Draco, "and they make a kind of passage between them. Montague told me that when he was stuck in the Hogwarts one, he was trapped in limbo but sometimes he could hear what was going on at school, and sometimes what was going on in the shop, as if the Cabinet was travelling between them, but he couldn't make anyone hear him... In the end he managed to Apparate out, even though he'd never passed his test. He nearly died doing it. Everyone thought it was a really good story, but I was the only one who realized what it meant - even Borgin didn't know - I was the one who realized there could be a way into Hogwarts through the Cabinets if I fixed the broken one." He explained and she stared at him in horror.

"Very good," murmured Dumbledore. "So the Death Eaters were able to pass from Borgin and Burkes into the school to help you... a clever plan, a very clever plan... and, as you say, right under my nose..."

"Yeah," said Draco who, bizarrely, seemed to draw courage and comfort from Dumbledore's praise. "Yeah, it was!"

"But there were times," Dumbledore went on, "weren't there, when you were not sure you would succeed in mending the Cabinet? And you resorted to crude and badly judged measures such as sending me a cursed necklace that was bound to reach the wrong hands... poisoned mead there was only the slightest chance I might drink..."

"Yeah, well, you still didn't realize who was behind that stuff, did you?" sneered Draco, as Dumbledore slid a little down the ramparts, the strength in his legs apparently fading. Her stomach was churning as she remembered Ron's pale face as he lay in the hospital wing. Draco had put him there.

"As a matter of fact, I did," said Dumbledore. "I was sure it was you."

"Why didn't you stop me, then?" Draco demanded.

"I tried, Draco. I spoke to Audrina…" Draco turned around and looked at her, hurt.

"You were just doing this on his orders?" He asked, sounding stunned and she shook her head, touching his shoulder with a pale hand that couldn't stop shaking.

"He told me you were in a dark place and I could help you. And I did, at first because I thought I owed you and then because I wanted to help you and then because…" She hesitated, glancing at Dumbledore. He nodded slightly and she finished. "Because I loved you." The words felt the rubber in her mouth. They were mostly true. Perhaps she would have said them more earnestly a month ago, when she still believed that Draco had a part of him that was still who she grew up with. But now, the words tasted like ash because they were a lie and Audrina knew it.

"See?" Draco said triumphantly. "She loves me. Your plan failed. She's on my side because she loves me."

"And so she does." Dumbledore agreed. "However, she wasn't my only plan. Professor Snape has been keeping watch over you on my orders –"

"He hasn't been doing your orders, he promised my mother –"

"Of course that is what he would tell you, Draco, but –"

"He's a double-agent, you stupid old man, he isn't working for you, you just think he is!"

"We must agree to differ on that, Draco. It so happens that I trust Professor Snape –"

"Well, you're losing your grip, then!" sneered Draco. "He's been offering me plenty of help- wanting all the glory for himself- wanting a bit of the action– 'What are you doing? Did you do the necklace, that was stupid, it could have blown everything–' But I haven't told him what I've been doing in the Room of Requirement, he's going to wake up tomorrow and it'll all be over and he won't be the Dark Lord's favorite any more, he'll be nothing compared to me, nothing!" He said feverishly.

"Very gratifying," said Dumbledore mildly. "We all like appreciation for our own hard work, of course... But you must have had an accomplice, all the same... someone in Hogsmeade, someone who was able to slip Katie the- the- aaaah…" Dumbledore closed his eyes again and nodded, as though he was about to fall asleep. "Audrina never would have attacked someone from her own house, least of all Katie... Of course... Rosmerta. How long has she been under the Imperius Curse?"

"Got there at last, have you?" Draco taunted and she went numb at the idea of him slipping Katie the dangerous necklace. There was another yell from below, rather louder than the last. Draco looked nervously over his shoulder again, and then back at Dumbledore, who went on,

"So poor Rosmerta was forced to lurk in her own bathroom and pass that necklace to any Hogwarts student who entered the room unaccompanied? And the poisoned mead... Well, naturally, Rosmerta was able to poison it for you before she sent the bottle to Slughorn, believing that it was to be my Christmas present... yes, very neat... very neat... poor Mr. Filch would not, of course, think to check a bottle of Rosmerta's... Tell me, how have you been communicating with Rosmerta? I thought we had all methods of communication in and out of the school monitored."

"Enchanted coins," said Draco, as though he was compelled to keep talking, though his wand hand was shaking badly. She felt the urge to reach up and take the wand from him but knew better. "I had one and she had the other and I could send her messages –"

"Isn't that the secret method of communication the group that called themselves Dumbledore's Army used last year?" asked Dumbledore. His voice was light and conversational, but she saw him slip an inch lower down the wall as he said it, struggling to remain upright.

"Yeah, I got the idea from them," said Draco, with a twisted smile and she felt the weight of her own coin in her pocket. How differently this night would've gone if she'd answered the coin instead of following Draco. "I got the idea of poisoning the mead from the Mudblood Granger, as well, I heard her talking in the library about Filch not recognizing potions..." Audrina recoiled at his causal use of such a slur against someone she counted as a close friend.

"Please do not use that offensive word in front of me," said Dumbledore. "And I do not think Audrina likes you referring to her friends as such, am I correct Ms. Black?" Draco gave a harsh laugh.

"You care about me saying "Mudblood" when I'm about to kill you?" He asked with distain, glancing back at her. She saw his mask flicker as he saw her standing there, hands clenched, wand upright.

"Yes, I do," said Dumbledore. "But as for being about to kill me, Draco, you have had several long minutes now. We are quite alone. I am more defenseless than you can have dreamed of finding me, and still you have not acted... Do you not want to kill me in front of the woman you love because you know she will forever look at you differently?" Draco's mouth contorted involuntarily, as though he had tasted something very bitter.

"Draco, let's leave." She insisted quietly. He shook his head.

"Now, about tonight," Dumbledore went on, "I am a little puzzled about how it happened... You knew that I had left the school? But of course," he answered his own question, "Rosmerta saw me leaving, she tipped you off using your ingenious coins, I'm sure..."

"That's right," said Draco. "But she said you were just going for a drink, you'd be back..." Suddenly it all made sense, his desperate pleas for her to lock herself away, his insistence that he was going to protect her. He had been planning this attack all year.

"Well, I certainly did have a drink... and I came back... after a fashion," mumbled Dumbledore. "So you decided to spring a trap for me?"

"We decided to put the Dark Mark over the Tower and get you to hurry up here, to see who'd been killed," said Draco. "And it worked!"

"Well... yes and no." said Dumbledore. "But am I to take it, then, that nobody has been murdered?"

"Someone's dead," said Draco and his voice seemed to go up an octave as he said it. "One of your people... I don't know who, it was dark... I stepped over the body... I was supposed to be waiting up here when you got back, only your Phoenix lot got in the way..."

"Yes, they do that," said Dumbledore. "Perhaps Audrina knows, she's close with those people." He turned his eyes to her and Draco looked at her as well. Her lips trembled as she replied,

"I didn't look sir. I didn't want… Didn't want… Lupin or Tonks or anyone." She said quietly. There was a bang and shouts from below, louder than ever; it sounded as though people were fighting on the actual spiral staircase that led to where they stood. She flinched.

"There is little time, one way or another," said Dumbledore. "So let us discuss your options, Draco."

 **AN:** More of my favorite dialogue, please let me know what you think!


	40. Chapter 40

_"_ _My_ options!" said Draco loudly. "I'm standing here with a wand - I'm about to kill you –"

"My dear boy let us have no more pretense about that. If you were going to kill me, you would have done it when you first Disarmed me, you would not have stopped for this pleasant chat about ways and means."

"I haven't got any options!" said Draco, and he was suddenly as white as Dumbledore. "I've got to do it! He'll kill me! He'll kill my whole family!" He turned around and grabbed her hand. "He said he'd kill her, called her a blood traitor! Aunt Bella said she deserved what Sirius got. He promised to kill her!" He said, looking at her rather than Dumbledore.

"I appreciate the difficulty of your position," said Dumbledore. "Why else do you think I have not confronted you before now? Because I knew that you would have been murdered if Lord Voldemort realized that I suspected you." Draco winced at the sound of the name.

"You should've told me. You knew I knew I was in danger. Why didn't you tell me?" She demanded of Draco and his eyes darted between Dumbledore and herself quickly.

"He would've known." He said quietly and Dumbledore nodded.

"I did not dare speak to you of the mission with which I knew you had been entrusted, in case he used Legilimency against you," continued Dumbledore. "But now at last we can speak plainly to each other... No harm has been done; you have hurt nobody, though you are very lucky that your unintentional victims survived... I can help you, Draco."

"No, you can't," said Draco, his wand hand shaking very badly indeed. "Nobody can. He told me to do it or he'll kill me. I've got no choice."

"Come over to the right side, Draco, and we can hide you more completely than you can possibly imagine. You would be safe, you would see your Audrina and she would safe with you. What is more, I can send members of the Order to your mother tonight to hide her likewise. Your father is safe at the moment in Azkaban... When the time comes we can protect him too... Come over to the right side, Draco... You are not a killer... Would your Audrina want you to be a killer?" He coaxed.

"Please Draco. I told you so many times what you could be if you were with me." She pleaded. She didn't know how it would work; a bizarre image of him eating breakfast at the Burrow flashed before her. "Please, Drake. Don't make me lose you. Again."

"What happened to you being on my side?" He questioned slowly and she touched his face.

"I love you. But I can never be a Bella or a Pansy. I take after Sirius, remember? And I want you with me. I want to stay with you forever Draco, do you remember saying that you could run forever or stand up fight? Let's fight him, together." She implored. But Draco was staring at Dumbledore.

"But I got this far, didn't I?" he said slowly. "They thought I'd die in the attempt, but I'm here... and you're in my power... I'm the one with the wand... you're at my mercy..."

"No, Draco," said Dumbledore quietly. "It is my mercy, and not yours, that matters now." Draco did not speak. His mouth was open, his wand hand still trembling. She thought she saw it drop by a fraction-

But suddenly footsteps were thundering up the stairs and a second later Draco and Audrina were buffeted out of the way as four people in black robes burst through the door on to the ramparts. She looked at the Death Eaters that had joined them in terror, wondering whom they had killed to get up here. Carrow gave a wheezy giggle, clapping his hands.

"Dumbledore cornered!" he said, and he turned to his sister who was grinning eagerly. "Dumbledore wandless, Dumbledore alone! Well done, Draco, well done!"

"Good evening, Amycus," said Dumbledore calmly, as though welcoming the man to a tea party. "And you've brought Alecto too... charming..." She gave an angry little titter.

"Think your little jokes'll help you on your death bed, then?" she jeered, shoving Audrina aside to get closer.

"Jokes? No, no, these are manners," replied Dumbledore.

"Do it," said Greyback, his feral voice making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. His rancid smell filled the entire room and if she hadn't so scared she might have thrown up.

"Is that you, Fenrir?" asked Dumbledore.

"That's right," he rasped. "Pleased to see me, Dumbledore?"

"No, I cannot say that I am..." Fenrir Greyback grinned, showing pointed teeth. Blood trickled down his chin and he licked his lips slowly, obscenely. She felt like her legs had disappeared from beneath her.

"But you know how much I like kids, Dumbledore." A hot pit boiled up in her stomach as she thought of him attacking a young Lupin and wished with all her might that Dumbledore would kill him.

"Am I to take it that you are attacking even without the full moon now? This is most unusual... you have developed a taste for human flesh that cannot be satisfied once a month?"

"That's right," said Greyback. "Shocks you, that, does it, Dumbledore? Frightens you?"

"Well, I cannot pretend it does not disgust me a little," said Dumbledore. "And, yes, I am a little shocked that Draco here invited you, of all people, into the school where his friends live..."

"I didn't," breathed Draco and she felt a small amount of gratitude knowing that the werewolf was not Draco's idea. He was not looking at Greyback; he did not seem to want to even glance at him. He had even put himself between the werewolf and her. "I didn't know he was going to come –"

"I wouldn't want to miss a trip to Hogwarts, Dumbledore," rasped Greyback. "Not when there are throats to be ripped out... delicious, delicious..." And he raised a yellow fingernail and picked at his front teeth, leering at Dumbledore. She thought of Millie and hoped to Merlin that she had remained where she was, safe in the Tower. "I could do you for afters, Dumbledore..."

"No," said Yaxley, the fourth Death Eater sharply. "We've got orders. Draco's got to do it. Now, Draco, and quickly." Draco was showing less resolution than ever. He looked terrified as he stared into Dumbledore's face, which was even paler, and rather lower than usual, as he had slid so far down the rampart wall that he was shorter than most of them in the room.

"He's not long for this world anyway, if you ask me!" said Carrow, to the accompaniment of his sister's wheezing giggles. "Look at him - what's happened to you, then, Dumby?"

"Oh, weaker resistance, slower reflexes, Amycus," said Dumbledore. "Old age, in short... one day, perhaps, it will happen to you... if you are lucky..."

"What's that mean, then, what's that mean?" yelled the Death Eater, suddenly violently angry. "Always the same, weren't yeh, Dumby, talking and doing nothing, nothing, I don't even know why the Dark Lord's bothering to kill yeh! Come on, Draco, do it!" But at that moment, there were renewed sounds of scuffling from below and a voice shouted,

 _"_ _They've blocked the stairs - Reducto! REDUCTO!"_

Her heart leapt: so these four had not eliminated all opposition, but merely broken through the fight to the top of the Tower, and, by the sound of it, created a barrier behind them.

"Now, Draco, quickly!" said Yaxley angrily. But Draco's hand was shaking so badly that he could barely aim.

"I'll do it," snarled Greyback, moving towards Dumbledore with his hands outstretched, his teeth bared.

"I said no!" shouted Yaxley; there was a flash of light and the werewolf was blasted out of the way; he hit the ramparts and staggered, looking furious. She silently prayed Draco would get out of this without hurting anyone. She debated stepping in front of Draco, but Yaxley blocked her path.

"Draco, do it, or stand aside so one of us –" screeched the woman, but at that precise moment the door to the ramparts burst open once more and there stood Snape, his wand clutched in his hand as his black eyes swept the scene, from Dumbledore slumped against the wall, to the four Death Eaters, including the enraged werewolf, and Draco and Audrina.

"We've got a problem, Snape," said the lumpy Amycus, whose eyes and wand were fixed alike upon Dumbledore, "The boy doesn't seem able –" But somebody else had spoken Snape's name, quite softly.

"Severus..." She felt true terror for the first time. She had been sure that as long as Dumbledore was here, no harm could come to her, but Dumbledore no longer seemed strong. He was pleading. Snape said nothing, but walked forwards and pushed Draco roughly out of the way, towards her.

The three Death Eaters fell back without a word. Even the werewolf seemed cowed. Snape gazed for a moment at Dumbledore, and there was revulsion and hatred etched in the harsh lines of his face.

"Severus... Please..." Snape raised his wand and pointed it directly at Dumbledore.

 _"_ _Avada Kedavra!"_ A jet of green light shot from the end of Snape's wand and hit Dumbledore squarely in the chest. Audrina screamed, loud and unbroken, though she hardly heard herelf. She was forced to watch as Dumbledore was blasted into the air: for a split second he seemed to hang suspended beneath the shining skull, and then he fell slowly backwards, like a great rag doll, over the battlements and out of sight.

 **AN:** And there's the moment that broke my heart. Please, please tell me what you think!


	41. Chapter 41

"You killed him, you killed him, you killed him," She could hear herself babbling and Draco tried to grab her but she shoved him away, yelling at Snape. "You killed him, you killed him!"

"Out of here, quickly," said Snape. He seized Draco and Audrina by the scruff of their necks and forced them roughly through the door ahead of the rest of the Death Eaters; Greyback and the squat brother and sister followed, the latter both panting excitedly.

Draco caught her hand and was pulling her along with him and she was stunned, the image of Dumbledore soaring off the tower playing constantly in her mind. Draco's face kept glancing back at her desperately and she knew the moment that she would leave Draco's side was approaching.

The choice had never been Harry or Draco. The choice had never been between two boys. The choice had been Draco or Ginny. Two people she loved. And in that moment it was clear whom she would choose. So she kept running even as her legs disappeared beneath her.

The dimly lit corridor was full of dust; half the ceiling seemed to have fallen in; and a battle was raging before her, but Snape was shouting, "It's over, time to go!" and guiding them around the corner at the far end of the corridor; she struggled in vain to get away and fight. Bodies were under her feet but Snape was still holding her in the air.

"LET ME GO LET ME GO LET ME GO RIGHT NOW I NEED TO FIGHT LET ME GO!" She was bellowing and suddenly the dust cleared and she saw the scene in front of her clearly for the first time. It was Ginny and she was dodging Killing Curses from every direction… Audrina twisted around and bit Snape on the wrist. With a noise of surprise, he dropped her and she sprinted for her, but someone got there first.

"Impedimenta!" yelled Harry. His jinx hit Amycus in the chest: He gave a piglike squeal of pain, was lifted off his feet and slammed into the opposite wall, slid down it, and fell out of sight behind Ron, Professor McGonagall, and Lupin, each of whom was battling a separate Death Eater.

"Harry, where did you come from?" Ginny cried, but there was no time to answer her. He put his head down and sprinted forward, narrowly avoiding a blast that erupted over his head, showering them all in bits of wall. Snape hurried on, despite Draco yelling her name, and Harry raced after them.

She ran to Ginny and put her back to hers as they slowly revolved, shooting curses to defend those around them, protecting each other. If she hadn't been focused on keeping them alive Audrina would've cried in joy that Ginny looked to be unharmed.

"What are you doing?" She demanded. "Where's Draco?"

"You matter more, he'll live." She hollered back and sent another curse to hit a Death Eater rounding on Luna.

"Take that!" shouted Professor McGonagall.

"Where's Harry?" Ginny demanded, as she dragged her down to avoid another curse.

"He went after Snape and Draco, Snape was taking me with him but I saw you, I had to stay and fight." She explained and she shoved her away.

"Go after them!" She yelled, stunning a Death Eater running for Tonks. Audrina gaped at her.

"What?" She demanded dumbly. She gave her an annoyed face, pushing her out of the way of another curse directed at her.

"You can go after them, no one will stop you." She explained. "Go. Save him." She hesitated then added, "Save them both." Audrina clasped her forearms then shoved her behind her.

She dodged hexes, but none were aimed at her. Both sides assumed she was with them and she ran through, unharmed. Harry had cleared a nice path and she followed. She barreled through the front doors and skidded to a stop, staring in horror at Hagrid's burning house. Draco forgotten, she changed course, but saw Harry stumbling towards it.

"HARRY!" She yelled, as an enormous figure emerged from out of the flames carrying Fang on his back.

"Yeh all righ', Harry? Yeh all righ'? Speak ter me, Harry..." Hagrid reached Harry before she did and she spun around, seeing Death Eaters streaming out of the school and Disapperating.

"I'm all right," panted Harry. "Are you?"

"'Course I am… take more'n that ter finish me." Hagrid reassured him then looked up at her. "Yer bleedin', Audrina."

"I know, I know, I'm fine, really." She said hastily, helping Hagrid pull Harry up. "You are too." She gently touched his eye. He waved her hand away, turning to look at his house as Fang curled around our feet.

"We should put out your house," said Harry, "The charm's 'Aguamenti'..." He glanced at her and she nodded.

"Knew it was summat like that," mumbled Hagrid, and he raised a smoldering pink, flowery umbrella and said, "Aguamenti!" A jet of water flew out of the umbrella tip. Harry raised his wand arm and she did as well. They murmured "Aguamenti" too: Together, they poured water on the house until the last flame was extinguished.

"I'm sorry Hagrid." She said sadly, looking at the ruins.

"S'not too bad," said Hagrid hopefully a few minutes later, looking at the smoking wreck. "Nothin Dumbledore won' be able to put righ'…" She covered her mouth to keep back a muffled sob.

She felt the crippling pain return. The adrenaline had staved off the exhaustion and grief she had been fighting all evening and it suddenly came crashing back full force as she saw again the way Dumbledore had fallen.

"Hagrid..." Harry said slowly and she remembered him coming down the stairs behind her, attacking Death Eaters from behind her and realized that Harry had been gone all evening.

"Harry…" She said in horror. He didn't seem to hear her.

"I was bindin' up a couple o' bowtruckle legs when I heard 'em coming," said Hagrid sadly, still staring at his wrecked cabin. "They'll bin burnt ter twigs, poor little things…"

"Hagrid..."

"But what happened, Harry? I jus' saw them Death Eaters runnin' down from the castle, but what the ruddy hell was Snape doin' with 'em? Where's he gone - was he chasin' them?"

"He…"Harry cleared his throat; it was dry from panic and the smoke. "Hagrid, he killed…" And in that second she recalled how Harry had disappeared with Dumbledore all year and how this evening had been the same. She realized Harry had been in the tower, he had been there with Dumbledore, likely under his cloak, he had seen and heard everything, including Dumbledore's death and her stomach heaved.

"Killed?" said Hagrid loudly, staring down at Harry. "Snape killed? What're yeh on abou', Harry?"

"Dumbledore," said Harry. "Snape killed… Dumbledore." Hagrid simply looked at him, the little of his face that could be seen in the darkness completely blank, uncomprehending.

"Dumbledore wha, Harry?"

"He's dead. Snape killed him..."

"Don' say that," said Hagrid roughly. "Snape kill Dumbledore - don' be stupid, Harry. Wha's made yeh say tha'?"

"I saw it happen."

"Yeh couldn' have."

"I saw it, Hagrid."

"I saw it too, Hagrid. I was there." She said quietly and Harry looked at her, nodding. Hagrid shook his head; his expression was disbelieving but sympathetic, as though they were foolish first years.

"What musta happened was, Dumbledore musta told Snape ter go with them Death Eaters," Hagrid said confidently. "I suppose he's gotta keep his cover. Look, let's get yeh back up ter the school. Come on, Harry, Audrina..." Harry did not attempt to argue or explain as Hagrid set off. He was still shaking uncontrollably.

"Harry." she said quietly, taking a few steps ahead of Hagrid as they walked back to the castle. Many of its windows were lit now. She wondered if Millie had stayed put, if Jace and Fallon and Adam were safe in their tower. "You were there. Under the cloak."

"You love him." He said quietly. "You love him and you let him go, you let Snape take him, why?"

"He will live without me. I don't have to worry about him. If you win, he will survive this war and if you don't, maybe he still will. But if you don't win, I know she won't. I protect her." She said quietly. Harry didn't have to ask to whom she was referring to. He knew.

The oak front doors stood open ahead of them, light flooding out onto the drive and the lawn. Slowly, uncertainly, dressing-gowned people were creeping down the steps, looking around nervously for some sign of the Death Eaters who had fled into the night.

"What're they all lookin' at?" said Hagrid, as they approached the castle front, Fang keeping as close as he could to their ankles. "Wha's that lyin' on the grass?" Hagrid added sharply, as they were heading now toward the foot of the Astronomy Tower, where a small crowd was congregating. "See it, Harry, Audrina? Right at the foot of the tower? Under where the Mark… Blimey… yeh don' think someone got thrown-?" Hagrid fell silent, as if the thought was apparently too horrible to express aloud. Audrina said nothing. Once she admitted the truth out loud, it would make it real.

Harry and Hagrid moved, dreamlike, through the murmuring crowd to the very front, where the dumbstruck students and teachers had left a gap. She followed slowly, not wanting to see what remained from her nightmare of a night. She heard Hagrid's moan of pain and shock, and stopped. Harry went on until he reached the place where Dumbledore lay and crouched down beside him. She stood in the mass of students, the adrenaline wearing off and the shock that she had witnessed Dumbledore's death setting in.

Dumbledore's eyes were closed; but for the strange angle of his arms and legs, he might have been sleeping. Harry reached out, straightened the half-moon spectacles upon the crooked nose, and wiped a trickle of blood from the mouth with his own sleeve. There was complete silence as more and more students and teachers trickled down. Hagrid pushed past her and knelt next to Harry, gently touching his shoulder.

"C 'mere, Harry..." He coaxed.

"No."

"Yeh can' stay here, Harry... Come on, now..."

"No."

A gentle hand brushed by her side and she noticed, dumbly, that Ginny was making her way towards Harry. She didn't acknowledge her but rather joined Hagrid at Harry's side. She too knelt.

"Harry, come on." Ginny pulled him up and led him through the crowd. Audrina followed at a distance, as she guided him back into the castle. "We're going to the hospital wing," said Ginny.

"I'm not hurt," said Harry.

"Yes you are, we all are." Audrina said quietly, noticing the limp in his step, the way he favored his arm, how he didn't want to look around.

"It's McGonagall's orders," said Ginny. "Everyone's up there, Ron and Hermione and Lupin and everyone -" She felt fear grip her body. She had been so worried about Draco, then Ginny, that she had hardly given a second thought to the fact that the Order had flooded the school to fight the Death Eaters. That people that she loved had been the ones to fight.

"Ginny, who else is dead?" Audrina asked quietly.

 **AN:** This was my intention all along, because I really based Audrina off of what a female Sirius might have been like and I think he would've picked James any day, and Audrina would pick Ginny any day... Anyways, let me know if you liked it or not pretty please!


	42. Chapter 42

"Don't worry, none of us." She reassured both Harry and Audrina.

"But the Dark Mark - Malfoy said he stepped over a body -" Harry said hollowly and she flinched at the memory.

"He stepped over Bill, but its all right, he's alive." There was something in Ginny's voice, however, that tipped her off that she was lying.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked for her and she bit the inside of her cheek, not sure how bad she wanted the answer.

"Of course I'm sure… He's a - a bit of a mess, that's all. Greyback attacked him. Madam Pomfrey says he won't - won't look the same anymore…" Ginny's voice trembled a little. "We don't really know what the after effects will be - I mean, Greyback being a werewolf, but not transformed at the time."

"But the others... There were other bodies on the ground…"

"Neville and Professor Flitwick are both hurt, but Madam Pomfrey says they'll be all right. And a Death Eater's dead, he got hit by a Killing Curse that huge blond one was firing off everywhere - Harry, if we hadn't had your Felix potion, I think we'd all have been killed, but everything seemed to just miss us -" She said and Audrina was overwhelmed at the idea of what might have happened if Harry hadn't brewed such perfect potions to win that favor.

They had reached the hospital wing. Pushing open the doors, they saw Neville lying, apparently asleep, in a bed near the door. Ron, Hermione, Luna, Tonks, and Lupin were gathered around another bed near the far end of the ward. At the sound of the doors opening, they all looked up. Hermione ran to Harry and hugged him; Lupin moved forward too, looking anxious.

"Are you all right, Harry?" He asked.

"I'm fine... How's Bill?" Nobody answered. Remus took a second to appraise her and she just nodded to tell him she was fine. She looked towards Bill's bed and saw an unrecognizable face lying on his pillow, so badly slashed and ripped that he looked grotesque. Madam Pomfrey was dabbing at his wounds with some harsh-smelling green ointment.

"Can't you fix them with a charm or something?" Harry asked the matron, who sighed.

"No charm will work on these," said Madam Pomfrey. "I've tried everything I know, but there is no cure for werewolf bites."

"But he wasn't bitten at the full moon," said Ron, who was gazing down into his brother's face as though he could somehow force him to mend just by staring. "Greyback hadn't transformed, so surely Bill won't be a - a real -?" He looked uncertainly at Lupin.

"No, I don't think that Bill will be a true werewolf," said Lupin, "but that does not mean that there won't be some contamination. Those are cursed wounds. They are unlikely ever to heal fully, and - and Bill might have some wolfish characteristics from now on."

"Dumbledore might know something that'd work, though," Ron said. "Where is he? Bill fought those maniacs on Dumbledore's orders, Dumbledore owes him, he can't leave him in this state -"

"Ron – Dumbledore's dead," said Ginny. That was all; two simple words but her announcement had a visual reaction. Everyone staggered backwards, as if a spell had forced them.

"No!" Lupin looked wildly from Ginny to Harry, as though hoping the latter might contradict her, but when Harry did not, Lupin collapsed into a chair beside Bill's bed, his hands over his face. Audrina felt a deep pain in her gut, a sharp stab of guilt. The only time she had ever seen him so distraught was after the death of Sirius.

"How did he die?" whispered Tonks. "How did it happen?"

"Snape killed him," said Harry. "I was there, I saw it. Audrina was there, with Malfoy." All heads swung towards her but Harry plowed on. "We arrived back on the Astronomy Tower because that's where the Mark was… Dumbledore was ill, he was weak, but I think he realized it was a trap when we heard footsteps running up the stairs. He immobilized me, I couldn't do anything, I was under the Invisibility Cloak - and then Malfoy and Audrina came through the door and he disarmed him -" Hermione clapped her hands to her mouth and Ron groaned. Luna's mouth trembled.

"Rin…" Ginny said quietly, taking Audrina's hand. She shook her head, letting Harry continue. It was better that everyone find out about her involvement here, all at once. It was by no means how she wanted them to find out but it was better than explaining it over and over again.

"- more Death Eaters arrived - and then Snape - and Snape did it. The Avada Kedavra." Harry couldn't go on. Madam Pomfrey burst into tears. Nobody paid her any attention except Ginny, who whispered,

"Shh! Listen!" Gulping, Madam Pomfrey pressed her fingers to her mouth, her eyes wide. Somewhere out in the darkness, a phoenix was singing a stricken lament of terrible beauty. How long they all stood there, listening, she did not know, nor did she understand why it seemed to ease the pain a little to listen to the sound of their mourning, but it felt like a long time later that the hospital door opened again and Professor McGonagall entered the ward. Like all the rest, she bore marks of the recent battle: There were grazes on her face and her robes were ripped.

"Molly and Arthur are on their way," she said, and the spell of the music was broken: Everyone roused themselves as though coming out of trances, turning again to look at Bill, or else to rub their own eyes or shake their heads. Audrina was brought back to Earth jarringly. "Harry, what happened? According to Hagrid you were with Professor Dumbledore when he - when it happened. He says Professor Snape was involved in some -"

"Snape killed Dumbledore," said Harry. She stared at him for a moment then swayed alarmingly; Madam Pomfrey, who seemed to have pulled herself together, ran forward, conjuring a chair from thin air, which she pushed under McGonagall.

"Snape," repeated McGonagall faintly, falling into the chair. "We all wondered… but he trusted… always… Snape... I can't believe it..."

"Snape was a highly accomplished Occlumency," said Lupin, his voice uncharacteristically harsh. "We always knew that."

"But Dumbledore swore he was on our side!" whispered Tonks. "I always thought Dumbledore must know something about Snape that we didn't..."

"He always hinted that he had an ironclad reason for trusting Snape," muttered Professor McGonagall, now dabbing at the corners of her leaking eyes with a tartan-edged handkerchief. It was alarming to see her cry. "I mean… With Snape's history... of course people were bound to wonder… but Dumbledore told me explicitly that Snape's repentance was absolutely genuine-Wouldn't hear a word against him!"

"I'd love to know what Snape told him to convince him," said Tonks, her usual cheery face stony.

"I know," said Harry, and they all turned to look at him. His mouth was twisted in a sneer. "Snape passed Voldemort the information that made Voldemort hunt down my mum and dad. Then Snape told Dumbledore he hadn't realized what he was doing, he was really sorry he'd done it, sorry that they were dead." They all stared at him, none of them to believe Dumbledore died trusting a man who had said that.

"And Dumbledore believed that?" said Lupin incredulously. "Dumbledore believed Snape was sorry James was dead? Snape hated James…"

"And he didn't think my mother was worth a damn either," said Harry, "because she was Muggle-born... 'Mudblood,' he called her. ..." He spat.

"This is all my fault," said Professor McGonagall suddenly. She looked disoriented, twisting her wet handkerchief in her hands. "My fault. I sent Filius to fetch Snape tonight, I actually sent for him to come and help us! If I hadn't alerted Snape to what was going on, he might never have joined forces with the Death Eaters. I don't think he knew they were there before Filius told him, I don't think he knew they were coming."

"It isn't your fault, Minerva," said Lupin firmly. "We all wanted more help, we were glad to think Snape was on his way..."

"So when he arrived at the fight, he joined in on the Death Eaters' side?" asked Harry.

"I don't know exactly how it happened," said Professor McGonagall distractedly. "It's all so confusing... Dumbledore had told us that he would be leaving the school for a few hours and that we were to patrol the corridors just in case ... Remus, Bill, and Nymphadora were to join us... and so we patrolled. All seemed quiet. Every secret passageway out of the school was covered. We knew nobody could fly in. There were powerful enchantments on every entrance into the castle. I still don't know how the Death Eaters can possibly have entered..." Her stomach twisted into a knot but Harry spoke.

"I do," said Harry, and he explained, briefly, about the pair of Vanishing Cabinets and the magical pathway they formed. "So they got in through the Room of Requirement."

"I messed up, Harry," said Ron bleakly. "We did like you told us: We checked the Marauder's Map and we couldn't see Malfoy on it, so we thought he must be in the Room of Requirement, so me, Ginny, and Neville went to keep watch on it... but Malfoy got past us."

"He came out of the room about an hour after we started keeping watch," said Ginny. "The moment he saw us he threw something into the air and it all went pitch-black -"

"- Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder," said Ron bitterly. "Fred and George's. I'm going to be having a word with them about who they let buy their products." She squirmed, unable to listen any longer.

"It wasn't his." She said quietly. They all looked at her.

 **AN:** Little bit of a cliffhanger, but of course she'd have to tell them... Leave me reviews pretty please!


	43. Chapter 43

"What?" Tonks asked curiously and Audrina looked at Ginny, who was staring at her with a mix of horror and sympathy.

"It wasn't his powder, it was mine." She repeated and Ron dropped his wand. "I was in there with him, he trusted me, I spent all year working on it, Dumbledore told me that I could maybe convince him not to do something like this but clearly I wasn't enough…" She took a deep breath. "I knew you would be patrolling and I warned the Death Eaters. They wanted to fight their way out but I couldn't let you all get hurt so I used the powder. I thought I could stop Draco, I thought he would listen, I thought… I would be enough." She broke down in tears, the events of the night crashing over her.

"It almost worked." Harry said softly and they all turned to look at him. "Dumbledore tried to use Audrina to get him to come to our side, but Malfoy said that Voldemort would kill her and his family." He explained.

"You spent all year trying to get Draco to trust you?" Lupin asked her in disbelief and she gave a little shrug.

"It doesn't matter, it didn't work. Snape still killed Dumbledore and Draco is still going back to Voldemort." She said bitterly.

"What happened them?" McGonagall asked.

"We tried everything, Lumos, Incendio," Ginny resumed, looking away from her. "Nothing would penetrate the darkness; all we could do was grope our way out of the corridor again, and meanwhile we could hear people rushing past us. Obviously Malfoy could see because of that hand thing and was guiding them, but we didn't dare use any curses or anything in case we hit each other, and by the time we'd reached a corridor that was light, they'd gone."

"Luckily," said Lupin hoarsely, "Ron, Ginny, and Neville ran into us almost immediately and told us what had happened. We found the Death Eaters minutes later, heading in the direction of the Astronomy Tower. Audrina will know better, but Malfoy obviously hadn't expected more people to be on the watch. A fight broke out, they scattered and we gave chase. One of them, Gibbon, broke away and headed up the tower stairs -"

"To set off the Mark?" asked Harry.

"He must have done, yes, they must have arranged that before they left the Room of Requirement," said Lupin. "But I don't think Gibbon liked the idea of waiting up there alone for Dumbledore, because he came running back downstairs to rejoin the fight and was hit by a Killing Curse that just missed me."

"So if Ron was watching the Room of Requirement with Ginny and Neville," said Harry, turning to Hermione, "were you -?"

"Outside Snape's office, yes," whispered Hermione, her eyes sparkling with tears, "With Luna. We hung around for ages outside it and nothing happened... We didn't know what was going on upstairs, Ron had taken the map- It was nearly midnight when Professor Flitwick came sprinting down into the dungeons. He was shouting about Death Eaters in the castle, I don't think he really registered that Luna and I were there at all, he just burst his way into Snape's office and we heard him saying that Snape had to go back with him and help and then we heard a loud thump and Snape came hurtling out of his room and he saw us and - and -" She looked ready to bawl.

"What?" Harry urged her.

"I was so stupid, Harry!" said Hermione in a high-pitched whisper. "He said Professor Flitwick had collapsed and that we should go and take care of him while he - while he went to help fight the Death Eaters -" She covered her face in shame and continued to talk into her fingers, so that her voice was muffled. "We went into his office to see if we could help Professor Flitwick and found him unconscious on the floor... and oh, it's so obvious now, Snape must have Stupefied Flitwick, but we didn't realize, Harry, we didn't realize, we just let Snape go!"

"It's not your fault," said Lupin firmly. "Hermione, had you not obeyed Snape and got out of the way, he probably would have killed you and Luna."

"So then he came upstairs," said Harry, "and he found the place where you were all fighting..."

"We were in trouble, we were losing," said Tonks in a low voice. "Gibbon was down, but the rest of the Death Eaters seemed ready to fight to the death. Neville had been hurt, Bill had been savaged by Greyback... It was all dark... curses flying everywhere... Audrina and the Malfoy boy had vanished, he must have slipped past, up the stairs... then more of them ran after him, but one of them blocked the stair behind them with some kind of curse... Neville ran at it and got thrown up into the air -"

"None of us could break through," said Ron, "and that massive Death Eater was still firing off jinxes all over the place, they were bouncing off the walls and barely missing us…"

"And then Snape was there," said Tonks, "and then he wasn't -"

"I saw him running toward us, but that huge Death Eaters jinx just missed me right afterward and I ducked and lost track of things," added Ginny with a small shudder.

"I saw him run straight through the cursed barrier as though it wasn't there," said Lupin. "I tried to follow him, but was thrown back just like Neville..."

"He must have known a spell we didn't," whispered McGonagall. "After all - he was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher... I just assumed that he was in a hurry to chase after the Death Eaters who'd escaped up to the tower..."

"He was," said Harry savagely, "but to help them, not to stop them… And I'll bet you had to have a Dark Mark to get through that barrier - so what happened when he came back down?"

"Well, the big Death Eater had just fired off a hex that caused half the ceiling to fall in, and also broke the curse blocking the stairs," explained Lupin flatly. "We all ran forward - those of us who were still standing anyway - and then Snape, Audrina and the boy emerged out of the dust - obviously, none of us attacked them -"

"We just let them pass," said Tonks in a hollow voice. "We saw Audrina with them, so of course we just thought they were being chased by the Death Eaters - and next thing, the other Death Eaters and Greyback were back and we were fighting again - I thought I heard Snape shout something, but I don't know what…"

"He shouted, 'It's over,'" said Harry. "He'd done what he'd meant to do." They all fell silent. Fawkes's lament was still echoing over the dark grounds outside. Ginny's hand was still held in Audrina's.

"Why did you go with Malfoy?" Hermione asked quietly and Audrina looked at her with tears hanging heavy.

"I really thought I could do it. If I just told him to leave, he could do it, like I did. Dumbledore… He said I could bring him out of darkness and I really thought I could…" She said hollowly. Lupin gently clapped her shoulder.

"You did the right thing, Audrina. We saw you defending Ginny, we just figured you'd escaped all notice…" Silence fell and went unbroken for a long time until the doors of the hospital wing burst open, making them all jump: Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were striding up the ward, Fleur just behind them, her beautiful face terrified.

"Molly - Arthur -" said Professor McGonagall, jumping up and hurrying to greet them. "I am so sorry -"

"Bill," whispered Mrs. Weasley, darting past Professor McGonagall as she caught sight of Bill's mangled face. "Oh, Bill!" Lupin and Tonks had got up hastily and retreated so that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley could get nearer to the bed. Mrs. Weasley bent over her son and pressed her lips to his bloody forehead. Ginny leaned against Audrina heavily.

"You said Greyback attacked him?" Mr. Weasley asked Professor McGonagall distractedly. "But he hadn't transformed? So what does that mean? What will happen to Bill?"

"We don't yet know," said Professor McGonagall, looking helplessly at Lupin who bit his lip.

"There will probably be some contamination, Arthur," said Lupin. "It is an odd case, possibly unique... We don't know what his behavior might be like when he awakens..." Mrs. Weasley took the nasty-smelling ointment from Madam Pomfrey and began dabbing at Bill's wounds.

"And Dumbledore..." said Mr. Weasley. "Minerva, is it true... Is he really…?" As Professor McGonagall nodded, Audrina noticed Ginny was moving away from her, towards Bill. Her slightly narrowed eyes were fixed upon Fleur, who was gazing down at Bill with a frozen expression on her face.

"Dumbledore gone," whispered Mr. Weasley in the same horror they were all feeling, but Mrs. Weasley had eyes only for her eldest son; she began to sob, tears falling onto Bill's mutilated face.

"Of course, it doesn't matter how he looks… It's not r-really important… But he was a very handsome little b-boy... always very handsome... and he was g-going to be married!" She cried, her voice shaking.

"And what do you mean by zat?" said Fleur suddenly and loudly. "What do you mean, 'he was going to be married?'" Mrs. Weasley raised her tear-stained face, looking startled.

"Well -only that-"

"You theenk Bill will not wish to marry me anymore?" demanded Fleur. "You theenk, because of these bites, he will not love me?"

"No, that's not what I -"

"Because 'e will!" said Fleur, drawing herself up to her full height and throwing back her long mane of silver hair. "It would take more zan a werewolf to stop Bill loving me!"

"Well, yes, I'm sure," said Mrs. Weasley, "but I thought perhaps - given how - how he -"

"You thought I would not weesh to marry him? Or per'aps, you hoped?" said Fleur, her nostrils flaring. "What do I care how he looks? I am good-looking enough for both of us, I theenk! All these scars show is zat my husband is brave! And I shall do zat!" she added fiercely, pushing Mrs. Weasley aside and snatching the ointment from her.

Mrs. Weasley fell back against her husband and watched Fleur mopping up Bill's wounds with a most curious expression upon her face. Nobody said anything; nobody dared move. The entire hospital wing was still. Everyone was waiting for the explosion.

"Our Great-Auntie Muriel," said Mrs. Weasley after a long pause, "has a very beautiful tiara - goblin-made - which I am sure I could persuade her to lend you for the wedding. She is very fond of Bill, you know, and it would look lovely with your hair."

"Thank you," said Fleur stiffly. "I am sure zat will be lovely."

And then, Audrina was not quite sure how, both women were crying and hugging each other. Harry looked to her, bewildered, and she stared back at him in total confusion: Ron and his father were wearing matching stunned expressions and Ginny and Hermione were exchanging startled looks.

"You see!" said a strained voice. Tonks was glaring at Lupin. "She still wants to marry him, even though he's been bitten! She doesn't care!"

"It's different," said Lupin, barely moving his lips and looking suddenly tense. "Bill will not be a full werewolf. The cases are completely -"

"But I don't care either, I don't care!" said Tonks, seizing the front of Lupin's robes and shaking them. "I've told you a million times…" Audrina stared at them blankly, remembering Harry asking about Tonks patronus, her refusal to be around when Lupin was there. She loved him. She felt a sudden desire to laugh bubble up. There was still love here, in this strange world where so many bad things had happened.

"And I've told you a million times," said Lupin, refusing to meet her eyes, staring at the floor while they all stared at him, "that I am too old for you, too poor… too dangerous..."

"I've said all along you're taking a ridiculous line on this, Remus," said Mrs. Weasley matter-of-factly over Fleur's shoulder as she patted her on the back comfortingly.

"I am not being ridiculous," said Lupin steadily. "Tonks deserves somebody young and whole."

"But she wants you," said Mr. Weasley, with a small smile. "And after all, Remus, young and whole men do not necessarily remain so." He gestured sadly at his son, lying between them.

"This is... not the moment to discuss it," said Lupin, avoiding everybody's eyes as he looked around distractedly. "Dumbledore is dead..."

"Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world," said Professor McGonagall curtly, just as the hospital doors opened again and Hagrid walked in. The little of his face that was not obscured by hair or beard was soaking and swollen; he was shaking with tears, a vast, spotted handkerchief in his hand.

"I've… I've done it, Professor," he choked. "M-moved him. Professor Sprout's got the kids back in bed. Professor Flitwick's lyin down, but he says he'll be all righ' in a jiffy, an' Professor Slughorn says the Ministry's bin informed."

"Thank you, Hagrid," said Professor McGonagall, standing up at once and turning to look at the group around Bill's bed. They must have looked like a ragged bunch. "I shall have to see the Ministry when they get here. Hagrid, please tell the Heads of Houses - Slughorn can represent Slytherin - that I want to see them in my office forthwith. I would like you to join us too." As Hagrid nodded, turned, and shuffled out of the room again, she looked down at Harry. "Before I meet them I would like a quick word with you, Harry. If you'll come with me..." Harry stood up, murmured,

"See you in a bit." to Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, and followed Professor McGonagall back down the ward.

Silence fell when Harry left, save for Mrs. Weasley's sniffles. Madam Pomfrey went about, tending to various wounds on all of them. Audrina hardly registered her dabbing something cool on the cut on her face, only that she had an immense sense of relief that everyone was here and alright.

"Audrina." Lupin said quietly and she looked up, startled out of her thoughts. "You were in the tower when it happened?" He asked and she shook herself slightly. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley turned to look at her in horror; they hadn't heard Harry's story. She nodded.

"Where was Snape taking you?" Tonks pressed and she closed her eyes, trying to remember Snape dragging Draco and her down the stairs. She opened them before she could remember the hexes aimed for her friends. Even doing that caused her heart to race.

"Malfoy Manor." She said quietly. "Draco… I mean, Malfoy's mother is there and I'm willing to bet so is my family. Snape would've taken him home. I don't know if Voldemort will be pleased or angry Snape killed Dumbledore, not… him." She struggled to say Draco's name- as the shock wore off she felt more and more repulsion towards him and what he'd done.

"Are you sure?" Mr. Weasley asked and she looked up at him, feeling tired and numb.

"There's nowhere else he would go, I know that much." She promised, wondering what her family was doing, if they were with Draco. What her brother was doing. The idea of him in the same house as Voldemort made her feel physically ill and she took a deep breath.

"They'll close the school, there's no way the governors would allow it to stay open." Lupin was saying quietly to Mr. Weasley.

"No." Ginny protested instantly. "They can't."

"If they close Hogwarts some people don't have homes anymore. I'm one of them." Audrina said wearily.

"Don't you ever say such a thing." Mrs. Weasley said sharply, grabbing her shoulders tightly and drawing her into an incredibly tight hug. "Of course you do." She let her go and held her face tightly. She swallowed hard and the tears she had been fighting all day began to sneak out. "Do you understand that?" She demanded.

"Yes ma'am." She said, smiling and crying. She looked at her for a moment longer then let her face go with a satisfied nod and turned back to Bill. Audrina swayed slightly on her feet.

"C'mon, off to bed." Lupin said, tenderly catching her arm and holding her up. Tonks shepherded Ginny and Hermione under her arms and together, guided them all back to the common room.

It was packed to the brim- students on chairs, couches, tables, the floor; anywhere there was an open space. No one said anything as they entered, just stared at them, covered in blood and debris, accompanied by two adults who looked worse than they did.

She ignored the looks and searched the crowd worriedly. There was only one face that she needed to see, to reassure herself that she was all right. Millie sat near the fire; hand over her mouth, staring at her in shock. She breathed a sigh of relief and nodded at her then followed Ginny to their dormitory where, wordlessly, they lied down next to each other and cried.

 _Dear Diary,_

 _He's gone. There's nothing more to say. He left._

 _-_ _Audrina Carona Black_

 **AN:** One of my favorite chapters to write so far, please let me know what you thought. I promise we're not quite done...


	44. Chapter 44

All lessons were suspended, all examinations postponed. Some students were hurried away from Hogwarts by their parents over the next couple of days - the Patil twins were gone before breakfast on the morning following Dumbledore's death and Zacharias Smith was escorted from the castle by his haughty-looking father. They didn't consider his departure much of a loss and Ginny muttered it was a shame that Blaise's mother hadn't arrived too. The handsome Slytherin hadn't looked her way once since the battle.

Seamus Finnigan, on the other hand, refused point-blank to accompany his mother home; they had an epic shouting match in the Entrance Hall, which was resolved when she agreed that he could remain behind for the funeral while she stayed in Hogsmeade. Audrina watched off to one side with a small smile with the majority of the student body and afterwards gave Seamus a hug, which he returned with gusto.

Fallon and Adam were pulled out in the middle of the night by their parents and from what Audrina understood from Fallon's letter, she was furious and hadn't spoken to them since the incident, while Adam was refusing anything his mother made him and ate only what he could cook, which was next to nothing. Jace hadn't said a word since their departure. Audrina noticed that he now wore one of Fallon's hair ribbons tied around his wrist tightly and would run a finger over it absentmindedly. She wondered if she had missed something between the two of them in the chaos.

Some excitement was caused among the younger students, who had never seen it before, when a powder-blue carriage the size of a house, pulled by a dozen giant winged palominos, came soaring out of the sky in the late afternoon before the funeral and landed on the edge of the Forest.

She spent all of her time with Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny. They had forgiven her the morning after the battle when they had rejoined each other in the common room; tear stained and bruised, scars half healed and flinching at every sound or touch. She had braced herself for the inevitable questions and accusations but instead Harry squeezed her hand, Hermione rubbed her back, and Ron patted her shoulder.

There was no question of if Ginny had forgiven her or not. Audrina knew she had the night following the battle; when she had woken up with a half stifled scream, back on the tower in her dreams. Ginny had caught her hand and held it until her breathing returned to normal. She pretended not to notice when she wiped her tears on her pillow. She hadn't said anything about her trembling as she closed her eyes. She didn't need words. They had never needed words as friends. Since the battle they had refused to sleep in separate beds or spend more than a couple minutes apart.

The beautiful weather seemed to mock them; Audrina knew that if the school year had ended any other way she would likely be swimming in the shallows of the lake, rejoicing that her O.W.L.s were done while planning a final prank to end the school year on a high note with Jace. Maybe she would even had walked the lake with Draco and held his hand and wandered to Hogsmeade for ice cream. But all of that was gone now.

They visited the hospital wing twice a day: Neville had already been discharged, but Bill remained under Madam Pomfrey's care. His scars were as bad as ever; in truth, he now bore a distinct resemblance to Mad-Eye Moody, though thankfully with both eyes and legs, but in personality he seemed just the same as ever. All that appeared to have changed was that he now had a great liking for very rare steaks.

"... so eet ees lucky 'e is marrying me," said Fleur happily, plumping up Bill's pillows with gusto, "because ze British overcook their meat, I 'ave always said this."

"I suppose I'm just going to have to accept that he really is going to marry her," sighed Ginny later that evening, as she, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Audrina sat beside the open window of the Gryffindor common room, looking out over the twilit grounds.

"She's not that bad," said Harry. "Ugly, though." He added hastily, as Ginny raised her eyebrows, and she let out a reluctant giggle.

"Well, I suppose if Mum can stand it, I can."

"It'll be easier when we, you know, don't have to live with her." Audrina commented and Ginny got a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Anyone else we know died?" Ron asked Hermione, who was perusing the Evening Prophet with her usual fever. Hermione winced at the forced toughness in his voice.

"No," she said reprovingly, folding up the newspaper. 'They're still looking for Snape, but no sign..."

"Of course there isn't," said Harry angrily. "They won't find Snape till they find Voldemort, and seeing as they've never managed to do that in all this time..." He refused to look at her.

"I'm going to go to bed," yawned Ginny. "I haven't been sleeping that well since... Well... I could do with some sleep." She kissed Harry (Ron looked away pointedly), waved and departed for the girls' dormitories.

"I think I'm going to follow suit." Audrina said, getting up slowly.

"You had a letter yesterday, who was it from?" Harry asked suddenly and she looked at him in bemusement.

"Fallon. She wanted to say sorry for leaving without telling us." She said slowly. He looked at her skeptically and she sighed. "Harry, if I get a letter from Malfoy saying anything at all, McGonagall, the Order, and you will be the first people I tell, alright?" She told him.

"Alright." He said quietly and she knew he didn't believe her. He had a good reason; out of everyone, Harry was the one who had seen her on the tower that night. His trust was the slowest to return and though it aggravated her, she understood why he was hesitant.

"Harry." She said sternly. "I want Snape to get caught just as bad as you do. I saw him murder Dumbledore, same as you did. He betrayed me too." With that, she turned and headed upstairs, wondering if her friends would ever trust her again. She knew that Ginny believed her when she said she would do anything for her and her family.

But she also knew that Harry had seen her at the top of the Astronomy Tower, begging and pleading with Draco to come with her. She didn't really want to know which side of her was more truthful.

* * *

As they sat down for breakfast, the mood in the Great Hall was subdued. Everybody was wearing their dress robes and no one seemed very hungry. Professor McGonagall had left the throne like chair in the middle of the staff table empty. Hagrid's chair was deserted too.

She saw a glimmer of red hair following the Minister around and knew more than likely it was Percy. If Ginny or Ron noticed that one of their brothers was here, they said nothing, though they both adamantly avoided looking up at the head table and ate perhaps a little too ferociously. Audrina kept an eye on Ginny just in case she decided to take a running start.

Over at the Slytherin table Crabbe and Goyle were muttering together. Hulking boys though they were, they looked oddly lonely without the tall, pale figure of Draco between them, bossing them around. She felt more sadness than ever at the idea of him out there, with his family and perhaps her own, scared and under Voldemort's control. She also felt anger that he wasn't here because the choice that he had made that had led them here.

More than once she had sat down to write him a letter and walked away in tears, unable to do so. She wanted to express the emotions of rage and fury and anger as well as the numbing sadness. She wanted to explain to him that he had hurt her beyond belief but she had been prepared for that hurt. She wanted to explain to him why she had made the choice that night to go with and why she had also chosen to leave him.

She wanted to tell him she loved him and hated him in almost equal measure. She wanted to inform him that her dreams were of him and him only. That she woke up screaming his name. That every night she dreamed she was running through the hallways of Hogwarts once more, choking on the dust and hurdling over the bodies.

She wanted to ask about her family, her brother. She wanted to tell him that he and Rigel were the only two people she cared about that weren't here at Hogwarts with her. She wanted to explain to him that she really was on his side. She really did love him and she would have done anything for him.

She desperately wanted to explain to him why she had done what she did. She wanted to insist he listen and understand that she was trying to protect him and Ginny from both sides. She wanted him to understand that she was stuck between two families and she had tried to make it work. That she was unable to sacrifice one part of herself for the other.

But more than anything she wanted him to know that she had chased after him. That she hadn't given up on him. That even though she was terrified at the thought of who he was becoming, she believed the boy that had taken her hand and promised to protect her was the boy that she loved. But there were no such words to express these things.

She was drawn from her musings when Millie gently nudged her in the ribs. Professor McGonagall had risen to her feet and the mournful hum in the Hall died away at once.

"It is nearly time," she said. "Please follow your Heads of House out into the grounds. Gryffindors, after me." They filed out from behind their benches in near silence. The sun hit her face and warmed her instantly through her robes. It was possibly the nicest day they had had yet, the right amount of sun and a cool breeze that played with her hair gently. Even with the warm sun beating down she felt cold and numb.

An extraordinary assortment of people had already settled into half of the chairs: shabby and smart, old and young. She saw members of the Order of the Phoenix: Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks, her hair miraculously returned to vividest pink, Remus Lupin, with whom she seemed to be holding hands, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill supported by Fleur and followed by Fred and George, who were wearing jackets of black dragonskin.

She wondered what the twins would say to her about Draco and everything that had happened. She wondered if they would understand what she had been trying to do or if they, like Harry, Hermione, and Ron, would think that she had betrayed them in some way.

Then there was Madame Maxime, who took up two-and-a-half chairs on her own, Tom, the landlord of the Leaky Cauldron, the hairy bass player from the wizarding group the Weird Sisters, Madam Malkin, of the robe shop in Diagon Alley, and all the students. The castle ghosts were there too, barely visible in the bright sunlight, discernible only when they moved, shimmering insubstantially in the gleaming air.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Audrina filed into seats at the end of a row beside the lake. People were whispering to each other; it sounded like a breeze in the grass, but the birdsong was louder by far. The crowd continued to swell; including Cornelius Fudge, Rita Skeeter, and Dolores Umbridge. At her arrival, several students, Audrina and Ginny included, visibly tensed up.

The staff was seated at last. She was lost in thought at how many people Dumbledore knew and how many of them risked death to show the greatest wizard of their age their respect when singing began. It wasn't unpleasant but it was by no means good. She craned her neck to see the source and many heads were turning, searching, a little alarmed.

"The lake." Hermione said quietly and they all turned to see the merpeople singing from just below the water. The music spoke very clearly of loss and of despair. She remembered during her third year how Dumbledore had spoken to them after the second challenge and wondered if they too would miss a headmaster that understood them.

Part of her felt anger towards the old man. It was his fault she had been dragged into this. He had been the one to suggest that she see Draco. He was the reason why she felt like something was wrong, constantly. He was why she had been forced to choose between her best friend of the past and her best friend now. But then she would remember his smile at her, how he knew that she struggled to walk the line of being a Black and Gryffindor.

When she turned around, Hagrid was walking slowly up the aisle between the chairs. He was crying quite silently, his face gleaming with tears, and in his arms, wrapped in purple velvet spangled with golden stars, was Dumbledore's body. With some shock she realized her hands were wet because tears were running, unchecked, down her cheeks.

Ron looked white and shocked. Tears were falling thick and fast into both Ginny and Hermione's laps. Hagrid seemed to have placed the body carefully upon the table. Now he retreated down the aisle, blowing his nose with loud trumpeting noises that drew scandalized looks from some.

The music stopped and a little tufty-haired man in plain black robes had got to his feet and stood now in front of Dumbledore's body. She strained to hear at first, but realized it was futile. She thought about Dumbledore's kind smile, his curiosity about her brother, his understanding that she loved someone she shouldn't. She wondered what he might have said to her, had Draco agreed to go with her and leave the Death Eaters.

Suddenly she was crying not only because she had lost Dumbledore but because she had lost Draco as well. She had lost the only man she had ever loved, the only person who knew what she truly like. Ginny loved her because she was bold and brash, the twins loved her because she was mischievous and clever, the Weasley's loved her because she was another orphan their children brought home and needed care.

Draco loved her because she was loud and stubborn and proud and very, very flawed. He loved her because he always had. Because she was the girl that had leapt off a stool at 11 years old and proved that she didn't need him, that she was capable to turning her entire world on it's head. He loved her because she was fearless and his perfect match.

She cried because she knew now that the likelihood of her seeing him again was nothing. The war was no longer a distant thing, held off by the walls of Hogwarts. It was real and for the first time she had lost someone to it, someone she had cared deeply about.

She urgently wished that the funeral would be over, that she could get up and run until the beating in her chest would subside. She wanted to fling herself onto her broom and go as fast as she could, until the wind stole the breath from her lungs and she no longer had to concentrate on making her body breathe. She needed to get up and leave so that the restlessness that was taking over her legs and hands would subside.

Then several people screamed. Bright, white flames had erupted around Dumbledore's body and the table upon which it lay: higher and higher they rose, obscuring the body. White smoke spiraled into the air and made strange shapes: the next second the fire had vanished.

In its place was a white marble tomb, encasing Dumbledore's body and the table on which he had rested. There were a few more cries of shock as a shower of arrows soared through the air, but they fell far short of the crowd. It was the centaurs' tribute; merpeople sank slowly back into the green water and were lost from view.

When she looked around she saw Ron's face was screwed up as though the sunlight was blinding him. Hermione's face was glazed with tears, but Ginny was no longer crying. She was looking at Harry with that fierce expression and Audrina knew that she was going to get her heart ripped in half and she could do nothing to prevent it.

She debated pulling her wand on Harry but she knew that it had to happen and that Ginny would be brave. They both would be, with each other and not the men they had spent their entire lives loving. Two broken hearted girls that would be strong for each other. Gryffindor girls. The funeral came to an end and they all stood.

 **AN:** Uff, a long, extended look into the mind of Audrina...Please please please tell me what you think, we're close to the end.


	45. Chapter 45

She watched with a heavy heart as Ginny and Harry wandered away from their little group and spoke. Around her, everyone was still crying. Ron was now holding Hermione and stroking her hair while she sobbed into his shoulder, tears dripping from the end of his own long nose. Hagrid was sobbing as Madam Maxime tenderly wiped away his tears. Luna, helping Neville back to the castle, had tears streaming down her face and for some reason they only made her prettier.

Ginny stood very still as Harry walked away from her. Audrina waited behind her, knowing she would need her. Slowly, she turned and she assessed her carefully, wondering what she needed.

"It hurts when they walk away, why is that?" She asked quietly. "Even if you let them walk away, even if you know it's better, why does it hurt so bad?" She questioned and Audrina was mildly alarmed to see that she wasn't letting herself cry. She just had a stoic expression.

"Because you can't help them when they walk away." Audrina said softly and Ginny shook her head, holding her arms tightly around her body. Audrina patted her cheek before Fred and George arrived.

"Are you both alright?" George asked, eyes searching her face worriedly. Audrina nodded, unable to meet his eyes.

"We heard from Tonks that you two fought. That was so incredibly stupid, what were you thinking?" Fred demanded.

"That you two would've done the exact same thing." Ginny said defiantly and Fred frowned at her.

"You two are underage! Those were Death Eaters you were fighting, you could've been killed!" George said angrily.

"Don't patronize me!" Ginny snapped. "You sound like mum, telling me I'm underage."

"You are underage!" Fred shot back heatedly. "You're both underage. You're not even 16 Ginny!"

"So?" She demanded, folding her arms. "My friends were in trouble. Are you trying to tell me that if something like this had happened, you wouldn't have done anything? We were trying to stop it!" She informed them and they both frowned but Fred touched Audrina's shoulder gently.

"We heard you were on the tower, Rin." Fred said quietly to her and her head whipped up so fast her neck cracked. She felt the all too familiar feeling of her stomach dropping out from under her as she imagined what he would say, how they would cast her out.

"We're glad you're all right. No matter what." George said, patting her cheek. Her mind reeled.

"I thought you would be angry." She said dumbly.

"You tried to stop him, we know that much. Besides, Snape would've killed you if he thought you were with the Order. We're just glad you're here." Fred said and she was crying all over again. George hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head gently.

"I thought you were all going to be so upset. That you'd think that I had betrayed you." She said, mostly to his chest.

"Well, Lupin and Tonks filled us in and said that you were trying to stop Malfoy the entire time. We're just worried that you're okay." George reassured her and she paused, thinking it over. She looked at Ginny and saw the pain behind her eyes, barely locked away.

"No." She said quietly. "I'm not okay but I'm going to try to be." She promised, taking Ginny's hand.

The funeral was over; they all went back into Hogwarts in silence. She ran her hand over the halls gently, wondering when she be able to feel like this place was home again. When she wouldn't flinch at the classrooms she had hidden in with Draco, giggling and kissing until they were breathless. When she would be able to look at the paintings that her and Jace had rearranged, wheezing with laughter. When she would be able to go back into the library where Fallon had frequently bemoaned her laziness with homework.

Hogwarts was her home. It had been, since the day she arrived. Maybe even before, when she was young and raptly listening to Draco's descriptions or eagerly awaiting his letters. It was where she had grown up. Found her friends and another family. Found a love. Lost that same love. It felt different now. It was no longer a safe, impenetrable place. It was the one place that was safest for her and now it felt vulnerable.

* * *

On the day that they were all going to leave she sat in the common room, looking around to where she had sat with Ginny for five years, working on homework and curling up next to the fire. Her trunk was packed next to her, Lyra in her cage and Maya next to her, both fast asleep. She got up and wandered around the very empty room. Nearly everyone was gone; after the funeral, kids disappeared faster than ever.

She hadn't gotten to say goodbye to Millie. She had watched her get pulled out of school the day after the funeral by her stony faced parents. She knew she would write to her but if her summer would be anything like Audrina's first summer home after being announced as a Gryffindor had been, it was going to be very long indeed.

She got up, wandered to the window, and let herself roam around the grounds in her minds eye. Over to the Quidditch pitch where she had won the cup for her house, where her name would forever be etched in history. She smiled as she remembered the absolute happiness that she had felt when she had seen Ginny raise the Snitch above her head.

She leaned heavily against the wall. Her home, her Hogwarts, the place where she went with the intent to learn and instead gained a family. The place that held her best memories and now her worst. She didn't know if she could call it home next year, not after the pain that she had witnessed here.

But she was going home to the Burrow, to her other family, a family that had opened their arms and hearts and home to her because they knew she needed it. A family that had seen her young, scared, and alone and didn't want her to feel that anymore. A family that had seven children of their own and still took Harry and Audrina in all year long.

"Hey." A soft voice said and she turned around. Ginny was waiting with her own trunk and the cage with Arnold.

"I see you're all packed up." Audrina commented and she nodded.

"Finally found that bag of Chocolate Frogs you lost around Halloween under my bed." She revealed and she snorted despite herself. She was quiet immediately after and she made a face, moving to her side.

"Feels wrong to laugh, doesn't it? Dumbledore is gone. We might never see this place again. Our entire world has been turned upside down and here I am, laughing about some stupid Chocolate Frogs that I've been looking for." Audrina observed and Ginny nodded, pulling her away from the window as they grabbed their trunks.

"That's how life works though. All these big events happen and it's the little things that remind you that life is funny and weird. You can't predict the little things any more than you can predict the big ones." Ginny said thoughtfully and they began lugging their trunks out of the common room.

"Feels funny to be leaving. What if we don't come back?" Audrina wondered aloud and Ginny shook her head.

"We'll come back. Even Voldemort can't deny that we need a school. If he wants wizards to join his cause they're going to need to know how to cast a decent spell." She said somewhat fiercely.

"Hogwarts is going to change." Audrina reminded her and she gave a snort, levitating her trunk down the stairs.

"That's a given. But it can't be any worse than Umbridge." She pointed out and Audrina gave a chuckle of laughter.

"What's worse than Umbridge?" Luna asked as she greeted them in the entrance hall, her own trunk packed and waiting to be loaded.

"Next year might be. Are you coming back Luna?" Ginny asked kindly and Luna nodded.

"My father thinks that it's still safer here than back home. Plus I have friends here. You two." She said with a smile between Ginny and Audrina. She felt a sudden wave of affection for the Ravenclaw. Audrina looped her elbow with hers and Ginny joined her other side. They set off out the doors towards the carriages that were waiting.

"No matter what comes at least we have each other." Audrina said, a small feeling of happiness briefly flickering in her heart.

It vanished at the sight of the carriages and how few of them held students. She slowed down and let go of Luna to walk up to the thestral that would pull their carriage. She took in a sharp breath of air. Last year she had been unable to see what pulled the carriages.

"Can you see them now?" Luna asked quietly and Audrina nodded, reaching out and letting the terrifying creature sniff her hand. After brief moment of smelling her, the thestral nosed her fingers as though it was looking for a treat and she gently stroked its nose.

"Rin…" Ginny said softly and she shook her head.

"I saw Dumbledore die. I know. I think I always had an idea that this would happen. I just never thought that, you know…" She trailed off, gently rubbing the thestral's neck.

"It takes awhile to get used to but they're very sweet. They remember that they took us to the Ministry last year." Luna informed her and she looked at the creature again.

"I'm sorry that I wish I couldn't see you." She whispered to the creature and it tossed its neck. She climbed into the carriage and Ginny patted her knee supportively.

"No matter what, we have each other, remember?" She reminded her and she nodded, taking a deep breath.

Audrina was confused and lost and she knew she was broken. She was scared of the war to come and those she knew she would lose. But she was not afraid. She would not run away and hide. That was not in her nature. The war was starting and she was in the thick of it. She felt the pocket where she had tucked the picture of her baby brother.

It was going to be a long year. It was going to be hard and rough and she was already so, so very tired. She had only fought one battle and there were so many more to come, more than she could count. She had so many people to protect and on all sides of the conflict.

But she knew one thing for sure. She was strong and brave and she had the fire of the world in her. She could survive a night from hell. She would wake up the next morning all the stronger for what she had endured the night before. She could protect her best friend from harm. She could shield those she loved. And most of all, she had them. Whether they were far away in a big, old house or mushed into the same small bed as her, she had friends that loved her just as much as she loved them.

"Yeah," She said, smiling and Ginny and Luna. "We'll always have each other."

 _Dear Diary,_

 _I am not alone._

 _I am not alone._

 _I am not alone._

 _I am brave._

 _-_ _Audrina Carona Black_

 **AN:** Well folks, if you hung on for this whole crazy journey, please let me know if you liked it or not. Audrina has been a joy to write for me and I love her dearly. I'm toying with the idea of writing her 7th year at Hogwarts, since we never got that perspective, but I'd love to hear if you guys would like that. Otherwise I plan on uploading some one shots and short stories that I've already written so, more Audrina to come. Thanks for reading!


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